Diary
by walkswithwheels
Summary: "It's not a type of story usually write, but I have the urge to put this one to cause sometimes my writing is not so simple. It has spawned characters, worlds, even entire series with thousands of words… Like a series called Traveler. Traveler, yes, that's the reason why I'm doing this." Sixth part of the Traveler series, AU, Companion fic to Usurping and Holly Rising. Metafiction
1. The Start

**Welcome to another story, Diary! This story is yet another companion work to Usurping, and part of the Traveler series. It's a bit different from the other entries though, and also a bit different from my writing as a whole. This story is also fairly technical, so those who do not like more technical writing should give it a pass. More will be explained in the author's notes, so see those for details. As always, I do not own Pokémon. Also, due to the way this story is formatted, it will have spoilers for the entire series, including future ideas.**

* * *

 **1\. The Start**

 **Day 1 (February 3, 2018): Kanto**

So it's been a long time since I've done this. By this, I mean a Pokémon challenge run. Especially a solo run. I've only completed one. Oh, there was that Absol run I started a few months back, but I have since abandoned it. I swear I will come back, but the story idea for that run has been abandoned too. Well, mostly. I have plans to return to it, but I've no idea how.

I suppose I'd better introduce myself, and this whole idea of stories with Pokémon games. I guess one could call me a simple writer, and this story a "metafic". Apparently, it's a story about writing, where there's some awareness of fictional events being pretend. It's not a type of story usually write, but I have the urge to put this one to page.

Because sometimes my writing is not so simple.

It has spawned characters, worlds, even entire series with thousands of words…

Like a series called Traveler.

Traveler, yes, _that's_ the reason why I'm doing this.

Well, I suppose I should also explain _what_ I'm doing.

I am planning on doing a solo run through all the regions using only a female Gardevoir.

However, I'm not going in blindly. There are a few rules.

One of which is that there is only one game per region. So, for example, I will be playing Emerald, but I cannot play Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. This also extends to runs where a region can be done twice (such as Kanto in the Johto games). I also will not do any of the postgame, even if the content would normally be available to a solo run.

The exception is White 2, because of how long the postgame is, and because I find it interesting. White 2 will be played in Challenge Mode with Memory Link enabled. Legendary Pokémon do not need to be captured, unless it is necessary for the game to progress. Things that would make my Pokémon much stronger, such as trading in TMs, Pokémon Refresh, and Join Avenue may or may not be used. It depends on how difficult the game becomes.

In most of the games, I am using a randomizer to force myself to start with Gardevoir.

However, in games where I can't, I am simply starting with Ralts and evolving it to Gardevoir. Some games will not allow me to trade in Pokémon other than the traditional starter until later. If this is the case, I will simply play through the game with my starter only until I am able to trade my desired Pokémon in. All Ralts traded in will be hatched from Eggs. These Eggs will be from the completed save files of other games.

If new regions are discovered while this run is going on, they do not need to be completed to finish the run. If I can find a way to add them in, however, I will. All regions must be completed in order, starting with Kanto. If I lose a fight, I am allowed to continue or restart from a previous save. There are no leveling restrictions, even in games where I gain boosted experience (such as those played with a traded Pokémon).

With out of the way, I might as well move on to a more specific reason as to why I'm doing this.

It has to do with a certain storyline in the Traveler series.

And with that, a certain character.

I have plans to include a Gardevoir named Gracie in the Traveler series. Gracie is also planned to be a major character in some of the books. Before most of the books in the series take place, Gracie goes on a journey across the regions. She sees that something terrible will happen in the future, and has an instinctive desire to protect someone. This desire is something that comes with her species. Therefore, Gracie sets out to find someone to protect, make herself stronger, and to try and prevent the disaster that she foresees.

The journey that Gracie goes on will be the plot in the story _Angel,_ named so because Gardevoir are based off of guardian angels. _Angel_ is another companion story to the Traveler series, but unlike this one, it _actually_ takes place in that universe (as opposed to being metafic and mainly commentary). It probably won't copy this story exactly, mainly because some aspects don't carry over. For example, Gracie is a wild Pokémon, so she's not going to be fighting Gym Leaders for Badges. And I probably will find some of the battles easy, so some of these easier ones will be taken out. But I will try to keep what happens in _Angel_ as close to the events here as possible.

I probably should say why I'm using this format, since it is a bit different than what I normally write.

At first, I wasn't sure how I would write Gracie's journey, only that I knew she would go on one. However, I remembered my challenge runs, and that I hadn't done one for a while. I also remembered how much I enjoyed one, and that I was still getting used to solos. Therefore, a Gardevoir solo through the regions seemed like the perfect way to represent Gracie's journey through her story.

However, in order to pull off a story like that, I knew there would need to be notes and commentary on the games I was playing.

So here I am, writing this story in order to record Gracie's perilous journey. It's almost like a diary, with me jotting down my thoughts about the different places the games will take me.

I'm not sure what exactly I will write, but I hope the entries here will tell of my success.

After all, Gracie's journey depends on it.

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 **Author's notes:**

 **-So, as stated before, this is a metafic containing my thoughts and commentary as I work through Gracie's solo runs. As such, concepts will be more technical (for example, not describing what Pokémon look like or specific attacks). It may also be a bit more disjointed, as I work through the parts of the games at different speeds, simply remember more, have trouble in some areas and not others, or have more story ideas for one area than another. Chapters will vary in length, but will probably be shorter than what I usually write.**

 **-Those familiar with the blog on the Artist's Zone may recognize this style. For those who are interested, the blog is mentioned on my fan profile, and I am known as "onewiththewheels" on the corresponding site. However, please be aware that blog posts are not edited, and that they may be infrequent depending on what I am doing. This story is also being written the way it is because it started out as a series of blog posts before being ported here.**

 **-Another thing that is different from my other stories is author's notes. In this story, aside from than this starting chapter, author's notes won't be seen very much. This is because I'm already doing commentary and my thoughts on the games, when this commentary would typically be put in author's notes.**

 **-Finally, there is the fact that while the story is related to the Traveler series, it is not directly taking place in them. Therefore, it's possible to skip the story, wait for Angel, and not miss out on any information about the series. However, I am not sure when Angel will be written, or what events will be omitted. I also may not talk about the run itself in Angel, unless there is something that really needs explaining. So while this story is not required to understand any of the others in the series, it still contains a lot of information about said series.**


	2. First Step

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **2: First Step**

 **Day One Continued (February 3, 2018): Kanto**

And now the journey truly begins.

Ah, Pallet Town… The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the nostalgia is everywhere. For many diehard Pokémon fans, this was their first step on their journeys many years ago. Many years ago, meaning when the Pokémon craze first hit the world with Red, Blue, and (later) Yellow.

However, I started with Gold and Johto, so I was a little confused… I knew something of Pallet Town, because of the anime, but other than that, not much. A while later, I got my hands on Blue. That was my introduction to Kanto, as well as some of the mechanics of the original games (e.g. battles based heavily on speed, a lot of glitches, and a very powerful Psychic Type).

But that's neither here nor there.

Because while this game takes place in Kanto, this game is _not_ Pokémon Blue.

Instead, it is one of the remakes, Firered.

The reason for this is that Gardevoir did not exist in the original Pokémon games, so I have to use one of the remakes. That doesn't bother me though, because the remakes are the better games.

And that also means that Gracie can still take her first steps of her journey in Pallet Town.

To be honest, it would make more sense for her to start in Viridian, because that's near where she lives in the Traveler universe.

But that's not relevant right now.

What _is_ relevant is that I have to go meet her.

So I went to the lab, merrily following Prof. Oak.

And I pick my starter.

I get a female on my first try, so Gracie's run can start right away. She also has Synchronize, which I consider the better of the two Abilities. Her nature is Jolly, but I'm not about to look up other statistics.

As for Gardevior itself, I have to be a bit careful because it only learns Psychic attacks naturally in the generation it debuts in. This affects Firered and Emerald. Luckily, Gardevior has the ability to learn a wide range of TMs. So Gracie can easily compensate. Gardevior also has high Special Attack, decent Speed, and not so great defenses. Right now, Gracie's only attacking move is Confusion. Her other moves are Growl, Double Team, and Teleport. So now she can do massive damage, but doesn't have the moveset to utilize that strength…

Still, Gracie will be doing a lot of damage, but may be in trouble if something does a lot of damage back. This is alleviated by the fact that the Psychic Type still doesn't have many weaknesses. No Dark Types show up until after the main game is cleared, and the three Ghosts that are available are still part poison. That makes them weak to Gracie's attacks. There are some Pokémon that will know some Dark or Ghost type attacks, but Gracie will still do a lot of damage to them before they hit her.

Speaking of damage, let's look at the Rival. I forced him to pick Bulbasaur to make things easier on myself. Bulbasaur is part Poison, so Gracie is strong against it.

Which she easily demonstrates by smashing through him with a Confusion.

Picked the wrong Pokémon indeed.

Before I leave, I fiddle around with the options. I change the battle style to set, and the battle scenes off. While the battle animations are pretty, I don't need to see them when I've beaten this game many times. Furthermore, I will have to catch other Pokémon in order to move around in the overworld. But I don't need my opponent wasting time switching in while that happens.

So off I go to the next place.

Route 1, north of Pallet. A fairly basic route, with a bunch of weak Pokémon. Gracie uses Confusion on a few of them in order to level up to level 7. It's worth noting that some of the opposing Pokémon survive Gracie's first hit to do damage with Tackle, but it's still not a lot. I have to be careful for later in the game, though…

I should mention that other than this, I typically don't get extra experience from wild Pokémon unless I'm really in trouble. It makes the game a bit too easy.

Gracie's next step is to get Oak's Parcel. For some reason, I feel like this really suits her, because I can see Gardevior being a delivery person and doing something like that. Maybe because they look rather friendly…

Gracie starting by delivering something… What delicious story ideas…

Well, whatever the case, it's not a hard job.

But something else might be more difficult.

And that is the battle waiting to the west.

To the west lies Route 22, and it cannot be completed in full until near the end of the game.

Which said game is happy to remind you of.

With a Rival battle.

This Rival battle is optional, and doesn't really have much effect on the gameplay. The exception is if the player is playing Pokémon Yellow, in which case passing up the battle will count as losing. And whether the player wins or loses the first two battles determines what their Rival's Eevee evolves into.

I think it's a cool little trick, but at the same time, I'm glad that this did not feature in any of the other games. It was very confusing, and there were no hints that it would happen. Furthermore, the player really has no reason to go down Route 22 unless they want a few extra catches. I remember my first time playing Yellow, and I had beaten the first Rival battle. I thought I would get a Jolteon as my opponent. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a Flareon... That's when I realized I had skipped the second battle…

But that's enough reminiscing. Time to fight.

Or not. It appears the optional Rival battle can only be fought if the player has delivered the Parcel. Speaking of getting events confused…

Oh well, at least Gracie got a level from some wild Pokémon. I wasn't sure what to do, so I was wandering around lost, until I somehow remembered I had to deliver the Parcel.

Also worth remembering that Pidgey and Spearow can still do damage, surviving Grace's first hit. And because her defense is so low, that damage adds up…

Anyway, I make it safely back to Pallet and give Oak his package.

Now I can _really_ fight.

Thankfully, it's still an easy battle, because Pidgey misses with Tackle before being taken down by two Confusions. Bulbasaur doesn't even get a chance to attack, being taken down by one… My Rival _does_ outlevel Gracie, but not by much…

I also think I'm going to turn on the animations for now. It's difficult to read the text, because I have the game sped up…

Try to leave Viridian, but there's the catching tutorial…

It actually is a bit useful to me, because I need to catch at least 10 Pokémon to get an item later…

Unfortunately, Gracie is too strong to weaken them.

So it all comes down to luck…

Luck, which I unfortunately do not have… Gracie takes a critical from a Pidgey, sustaining a lot of damage. And I also lose my first Poké Ball against said Pidgey. Joy.

Thankfully, I managed to catch the thing, so I will be using it to fly around.

I wonder how Gracie will use HMs in the story. She has to because of the game is played, but having her doing something like randomly sprouting wings is odd. And this is supposed to be a solo run, so she can't be with anyone else…

I will figure it out eventually.

And then I have my first reset.

Gracie needs to catch a Mankey, but the Pokémon does not want to be caught.

It uses Scratch and Leer to do a lot of damage, and Gracie is down to yellow health.

I manage to catch it on my last Poké Ball, but decide that it's not worth buying more.

So I reset, and head out for the route again.

Maybe this could work into the story. Gracie decides to rest on Route 22, and then gets attacked by a Mankey… I have no idea how she would not attack, but maybe she just finds her opponent dodging things…

And maybe the Professor she's making the delivery for could be Professor Pine. For those unaware, Professor Pine is an OC, lives in Viridian, and is the main professor in the Traveler series. I've already written that Gracie will meet her at the end of the journey, so it would make sense if she also met her at the start.

As for the HM items, maybe Gracie will receive things from Prof. Pine as rewards while she progresses, but she can't take the items along from region to region. It would make sense…

Anyway, Gracie is sent out to catch a Spearow and a Mankey. Spearow is difficult because it's fast and does damage with Peck. Plus it doesn't want to be caught. Thankfully, Mankey comes easily (unlike the last time).

And I think that will be enough for now. I need to buy some more Poké Balls, and Viridian Forest is long.

I may as well leave a note about the update schedule. Daughter will be most likely completed first, because this story was originally supposed to start after Daughter was finished. I will be doing this story if I can't work on Daughter, or I just don't feel like it. Any updates from Holly Rising will take priority over both. However, once Daughter is completed, this is the main companion story that will be worked on (along with the notes for another story in the main series, Usurping). Progress in the game will most likely be faster in later updates because I've gotten all the technical things out of the way.

Speaking of technical things, that about wraps up this first day. I'm sure the second will be just as interesting, as I remember my times in Viridian Forest…


	3. Unseen Setbacks

**To another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **3\. Unseen Setbacks**

 **Day 2 (February 4, 2018)**

Had not expected to get an update out today, but a couple things happened. One is that I heard Holly Rising's RP will be updated soon. When that happens, Holly Rising will take priority over any other story until everything has been written, edited, and ported. Therefore, it is easier to work on this story than Daughter, because Daughter has longer chapters and takes more time.

Another reason is something that can only be described as a technical setback.

Most Pokémon games are pretty good about not throwing Dark Types at the player early on.

Except for one.

Hoenn.

Hoenn throws Dark types at the player from the very first area (sometimes from the very first _battle)_ , before they can learn any moves other than the ones learned by level up.

And this is the generation where Gardevoir was introduced, so it learns no moves that can hit Dark types.

Meaning that it can't reasonably clear some of the earlier areas.

TM moves exist, but the first one Gardevoir can learn is after the second Badge (TM46, Thief), and by then the player will have been forced into several battles against Dark types… Due to the run's rules, I can't use other Pokémon to help me until that point.

Luckily, I have a solution, but it's a tedious one.

I'm playing on a randomizer, which means I can randomize _anything I want._

Including starter held items.

So, my only real solution is to randomize the item Gracie starts with, until she gets a TM that can be used against Dark types… Luckily, there is a function called "ban bad items". This function is also selected in order to make TMs up here more often.

Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing what items the starters get until the game has begun and the player has progressed to the point where they can obtain their first Pokémon.

So I have to play Emerald's intro again and again, until I get to that point…

Luckily, thanks to the ability to speed the game up, it only takes me about an hour to get what I want.

What I get is the TM 27 (Return).

Which actually works out well for the story. The TM for Return is given out by the regional professor in the very next region. So it's easy to write in that Professor Birch gives Gracie this for saving him, and to protect her against the Hoenn region's many Dark types.

It's worth noting that Unova also has a bit of the same problem as Hoenn, but there's a simple solution there. Since I'm playing with multiple games rather than a single one, I can just trade my Pokémon back once it hatches, and have it learn a move that can hit Dark types.

So as tedious as it is, the Dark Type problem is solved.

With that of the way, I may as well address something else important.

And that is something that came up during the story.

It goes without saying that I have to buy items to keep Gracie healthy. However, I was unsure how to do that in the story, because Gracie is a wild Pokémon. She would know how to use things like berries and whatnot, but that wouldn't be enough to keep her healthy. Furthermore, since Gracie starts as a wild Pokémon, there would be the obvious issue of someone wanting to go catch her.

So then I got another idea.

Grace's home might be in Route 2, but that doesn't mean she has to _stay there._

Especially if she needs help.

So, shortly after Professor Pine moves to Viridian, Gracie shows up in the city, injured. Professor Pine decides to help Gracie, and nurses her back to health. The two become friends, and Professor Pine gives Gracie the option to become her Pokémon. Gracie refuses, but feels like she has to pay Professor Pine back. So she agrees to help out in the lab sometimes, as long as she is free to come and go from the city to her home. Professor Pine seems interested in studying the type of relationship Gracie has, and this also foreshadows what she winds up studying in Usurping.

Professor Pine asks Gracie if she would like some official League protection, so that people can't catch her. Gracie refuses, explaining that she wouldn't mind going on adventures. And if a Trainer finds her, then she'll have someone to protect. However, a Trainer doesn't find her, and she stays with Professer Pine for quite a while. It was during this time that she learns some human concepts, such as the human language, battling Trainers for money (although she has to be taught not to try and beat up random people), and how to buy and use manmade items. However, manmade items still take her a while to use, so she can't hold them in battle for instant relief.

Later on, when Gracie has her vision in Route 2, she wonders if her old friend Professor Pine is in the city, and if she can help her. So Gracie wanders the city, and some young hotshot with a Bulbasaur decides to attack her. She defeats the Bulbasaur with Confusion, and wonders what to do next. Luckily, Professor Pine shows up.

The kid tries to say that the Gracie attacked his Pokémon, but Professor Pine retorts she saw the whole thing. She then scolds the child, saying that he can't just try to beat up her lab assistant. The child's eyes go wide, and he recognizes Gracie. He tries to apologize to Proffessor Pine, but Professor Pine tells him to apologize to Gracie instead. The child does, and Professor Pine asks him what else he needs to do. She holds out her hand, and the kid looks horrified. He blurts out that he can't give money to a Pokémon. Professor Pine says to give it to her instead, so she can give it to Gracie. The kid, still surprised, obeys. After that, Professor Pine lets him go.

Professor Pine welcomes Gracie into the lab, and asks her what she's doing here. Gracie explains the vision, and the need to explore. Professor Pine thinks exploring the other regions is a good idea. However, she points out that Gracie is at risk of being captured and her journey halted if she goes on as she is. The professor then decides to give her official League protection using her status as a professor. I am unsure what this will look like at this time, but it may resemble something like the Honor of Kalos that the protagonist receives at the end of Pokémon X and Y. Professor Pine also gives Gracie a traveling bag and a bit of money. She explains that while her protection prevents Gracie from being captured and allows the two of them to communicate, others may see Gracie as something similar to a Trainer. Therefore, they may challenge her to battles. Gracie states she is prepared for this.

While they are talking, an e-mail comes in. Professor Oak from the next town over apparently ordered something, but it accidentally got sent to Viridian. Professor Pine would deliver it herself, but she needs to watch over the lab. She asks Gracie to deliver it, and she does. So Gracie heads to the routes to the south, makes it to Pallet Town, meets Professor Oak, and then goes on her way.

And that's it for the story thus far.

On to the _actual_ gameplay.

Next area is Route 2, but it doesn't hold much significance other than being where Gracie is from in the Traveler universe.

Viridian Forest, on the other hand, is much more interesting.

It's the first real dungeon in the games, and it's called a natural maze.

For _very_ good reason.

Even though the area is not particularly difficult, it's easy to get lost. I remember my first few times through the forest, I always wound up going the opposite direction and heading back to the entrance. I had no idea how to proceed, until a friend borrowed my Game Boy, and somehow went the right direction.

Also, I have a few other memories. Such as not knowing that there's only one Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow, and hearing that Pikachu were in Viridian Forest… I spend hours looking for a Pikachu that never came... I don't know how I figured out they were only in Pokémon Red and Blue, but when I did I felt like an idiot…

There was also the fun of poison in Viridian Forest, and going in there without any Antidotes… In the games Viridian Forest features in, poison saps HP even outside of battle. I didn't know that, and then realized how dangerous it was the first few times I went through. So I had Pokémon fainting a lot and was often forcibly returned to the last Pokémon Center…

And then there was a more recent run where I was heading out of the forest, and the only Pokémon I had was Charmander. Luckily, this was Leafgreen, where Charmander learns a move that can hit Rock Types for super effective damage… Rock Types feature in the upcoming city, and the player can't progress forward from said city until they beat them. So I had to stay in the Forest until I had leveled up enough to learn the super effective move…

Good times and all, but I have to focus on the present.

It's one noting that for this run, I won't be buying any Antidotes because Gracie is strong enough to take down Weedle and other Poison Type Pokémon in one hit. I will be buying Poké Balls, however, because Viridian Forest has a lot of Pokémon, and there may be enough to fulfill the 10 Pokémon requirement right now.

Unfortunately, the Poké Ball cost leaves me broke, so I will have to play carefully until I get money again…

And then I start running into problems…

Caterpie, Weedle, and Pikachu are easy catches…

The evolutions of the former two are not.

One, Kakuna, uses up all my Poke Balls, which forces a reset.

Time to try again.

Luckily, they come much easier the second time, and I still have a few Poké Balls.

Which is good because I still need one more Pokémon, and I'm not breaking the rules to evolve any others. Unfortunately, it will be a while before there is something new.

I wonder how I will explain this in the story. Maybe Prof. Oak tells Gracie about a project where Trainers who catch a lot of Pokémon get rewards from his aides. While Pokémon don't typically catch others, Gracie knows so much of human customs that she may as well a Trainer. All Gracie has to do is send Pokémon caught to Professor Pine, who will then transfer the Pokémon to Professor Oak. This will allow her to reap the rewards. Gracie decides to give it a try, but realizes it is rather annoying because she uses up a lot of supplies that could be better spent elsewhere, and almost runs out of money. She politely tells Professor Oak she's declining from his little study, but luckily he understands.

She still gets Flash the way the game normally does this (catching 10 different species of Pokémon). And Pine tells her that she does have enough Pokémon to get the most useful reward. She chuckles that she was asked to deliver the reward instead of the Professor Oak's aides, knowing that Gracie didn't have the best history with them. Gracie only sighs.

There's also a bit of introspection, as Gracie wonders what it's like to be in a Poke Ball, and if she will find out during the journey somehow. She thinks to herself that probably not, unless she asks someone. Of course, she's not close to anyone but Pine, so she's not sure who she would ask. Regardless, she continues.

Speaking of continuing, I'd better get moving.

Luckily, Viridian Forest is not hard. The Pokémon here are either weak to Garcie's attacks (Weedle) or cannot attack at all (Kakuna and Metapod). The only thing I have to watch out for currently is Gracie's Power Points, since she only has one attacking move.

With that, I enter Pewter City.

And then I'm reminded of Holly Rising, because this is where the meat of the story started. At least, when it became its own beast separate from the RP it was based off of… Speaking of which, I wonder if I should mention the thief from Holly Rising in _Angel._ I have plans for him later on in Holly Rising. However, I'm not sure what I would have him do in Usurping, because the group he is a part of doesn't exist there. And _Angel_ takes place in Usurping's timeline…

Regardless, Pewter City is home to the first Gym. And the Pokémon there are bit tougher than what I've faced so far. I also only have the healing items that I picked up previously, so I don't have much in the way of defense. Gracie is currently around the level of the Gym Leader's first Pokémon (she's level 11 as of now).

Given her high power and the Gym Leader's low defenses, Gracie might not have trouble. But if she does, I will have to head back into the Forest.

Unfortunately, the Gym Trainers are annoying. One of them has a Sandshrew that keeps on using Sand Attack… So Gracie's own attacks constantly miss… Luckily, he doesn't attack much, and I win the fight with Confusion.

And now I'm up to the first Gym Leader, Brock. His Pokémon can do high damage, and can lower Gracie's speed with Rock Tomb. I will have to be careful, because speed is one of Gracie's main advantages.

But now there's nothing I can do but heal up and face the Leader.

Who turned out to be very easy.

His Geodude is not much tougher than its brethren, and barely attacks. His Onix _tries_ to attack with Rock Tomb, but the attack misses. Gracie effortlessly defeats both with two Confusions.

I wonder how I'm going to write this… It's supposed to be a major battle, but Gracie had no issues… Perhaps I could have the thief use the Gym Pokémon, but have them actually be his… The thief has to escape, because he still plays his role in the stories later on in the series. So perhaps Gracie wounds his Pokémon, and he uses his Sandshrew's Sand Attack to escape…

The townspeople thank Gracie for her efforts by giving her something that will make her move faster. It can't be the running shoes, because Gracie doesn't wear those… Professor Pine might appear to explain about the different items Gracie can use in the overworld. And perhaps she loses them when she gets depowered every region…

Anyway, I grab some Poke Balls before heading out, because there's a Pokémon I need in my party. And the routes to the east have new ones I can capture for the 10 Pokémon requirement. Time to grab my running shoes and sprint through the region…

Well, to the next area, at least. This area, Route 3 is not that impressive. Trainers mainly have the standard fare of Pidgey and bugs. However, there are a lot of them, so Gracie nearly runs out of Power Points. Luckily, that problem will start to be alleviated in the next dungeon. There's also a new adversary here; Jigglypuff. One puts me to sleep, prolonging a battle. Luckily, it doesn't actually do much. I'm also introduced to a new move; Quick Attack. Quick Attack is notable because it's one of the few moves that can strike before Gracie does. I will have to keep my health high.

For now, I'm just glad that there's the Pokémon Center on the route. It's better than having to go all the way back to Pewter to heal…

Now it's time to fulfill the 10 Pokémon requirement…

There is a Nidoran male that needs some convincing (meaning lots of Poke Balls), but eventually comes along. Funny, considering a Nidoran female causes all the problems in both Holly Rising and Usurping…

But enough about that, it's time to head into Mt. Moon. There's a lot of things I need to do here.

One of which is catch Pokémon for HMs.

I catch a Geodude rapidly. The other Pokémon I'm looking for is Paras, but I don't find it yet.

So my other task will be getting through this cave.

And this is where I start to get a little careless…

There's a Clefairy owned by a Trainer here, and it's about the same level as Gracie…

It knows Doubleslap, a move that hits the opponent several times in succession.

With four hits, it almost takes down half of Gracie's HP.

I have to be more careful, because not everything will die in one hit…

Maybe I can write it as the Clefairy being more aggressive… It would make sense, given what's happening in Traveler…

But Clefairy's not the only thing I have to be careful about. This is my first encounter with Magnemite, a Pokémon that can resist Gracie's attacks. They have access to paralysis and confusion, which can make things difficult.

One of them tries to confuse Gracie with Supersonic, but thankfully missed. I've beaten all the Trainers, but unfortunately must escape. Gracie is low on Power Points, and I think I'm ready for a break.

Next time, the rest of Mt. Moon as Gracie heads into Cerulean City.

Otherwise known as the other place where a lot of things happen that are related to the story.

And hopefully no more unseen setbacks.


	4. Moon and Water

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **4\. Moon and Water**

 **Day 3 (February 5, 2018): Kanto**

Back for another session, a bit later than that normally would be. Mainly because today was the day I finished porting the first three chapters of this story. It's a little odd, considering it was originally a blog post, and blog posts are not what I normally do. However, I think it's enjoyable regardless. Also bit later because I was at a family event, but that's neither here nor there.

However, there is a story change regarding someone's family.

In the Traveler series, there is a family member of one of the main characters. This family member was originally supposed to be present in Mold Breaker (the prequel story to Usurping, and to a lesser extent, Holly Rising) die near the end of it of old age, and appear once early on in Usurping as an angel. After that, this character would not appear again.

Now, things have changed a bit.

The end of Gracie's journey through the last region is confirmed to take place shortly after the other character dies (near the end of Mold Breaker). However, the change comes specifically in the final battle. Gracie gets heavily injured in this battle, falling unconscious. She thinks she is going to die or has died, waking up in some place that looks like Heaven. The first thing she hears is someone's voice saying "Please, wake up." This is when she sees the character as an angel and thinks she is here to take her away to Arceus. However, the character says "Please, find her. Protect her. She the one they're looking for."

Gracie is confused, wondering who "she" is, and why she must protect her. Gracie sees flashes of the main character of Usurping, but is unable to discern who it is. Since Professor Pine has not seen the character in many years, she is unable to help when Gracie returns. Gracie asks who the angel is, but the angel replies "My granddaughter... She's in danger... Please, help her…" Gracie simply nods, wondering who the granddaughter is, but realizing she is beginning to return to Earth. She notes that she doesn't have much time to ask any more questions, but there's still one in her mind. Gracie asks what the angel's name is, and a response echoes "Rosalie." Everything disappear into light as the angel completely spreads her wings, and Gracie finally regains consciousness. She realizes she has been taken back to Kanto by Professor Pine.

The nurses say it's a miracle that Gracie survived that attack, and that they believe she will make a full recovery. One says that it's like Arceus's angels watched over her. Gracie is shocked, thinking that the woman must have been an angel of Arceus, and that she really did save her. She remembers the woman's message and her name. She tells it to Professor Pine, but Professor Pine doesn't recognize it. She says she will keep an eye out for anyone that may need help, however. It's worth noting that since Gracie only sees flashes, she is unable to put together a face very well. This is why Professor Pine is unable to recognize the protagonist of Usurping initially when she sees her in the other companion stories (and only remembers her from memories).

Then, when Gracie meets the protagonist's group at the beginning of Usurping, she recognizes the protagonist from the visions and the angel. This is when she realizes that this is the person she needs to protect, and forces her way into their group. When the protagonist asks why she wants to join her and how she seems to know her, Gracie responds that she knows her from a woman named Rosalie, and that she sent her to their group. The protagonist breaks down, realizing that's the name of her grandmother who recently passed away. One of her Pokémon mentions that Rosalie was always known for her gifts, that she gave her one last gift from beyond the grave.

On a side note, I'm almost done with Pokémon Tournament DX. Hard to believe, but I will have only two more leagues before everything in the single player main game is complete... It will make me sad to leave those characters behind, but the game is well worth every penny I spent. The fact that I'm progressing through this game might have an effect on Angel.

At first, I wasn't sure what to do with the Rival fights. But now, there's a character named Nia that I like. She's already set to play a major role in some of the other books, so maybe I could have her be the rival. It would make sense, because she was the cheery type, but also one to check up on the player's progress in her own game. It also makes sense because the awkward status Gracie has (meaning the way she's between a Pokémon a Trainer) is similar to a concept Nia is fascinated by in the other stories in which she appears. And Nia ends up studying that concept alongside Professor Pine.

Nia finding Professor Pine is more believable if she knows Gracie. Otherwise, the two characters don't really know anything about each other up until Nia becomes Professor Pine's lab assistant in the beginning of Usurping. This way, Nia has a name and a face, although she might not know Gracie was the former lab assistant. Originally, they only knew each other because they both knew the protagonist of Usurping at one point, and Nia is looking for her (Usurping's protagonist) at the time Prof. Pine recruits the former into the study.

But that's neither here nor there.

For now, gameplay awaits.

Last time, Gracie started taking on Mt. Moon, but was forced to flee. Let's see if she can take on the rest of it…

Well, she _almost_ can.

I find a wild Paras, the Pokémon I was trying to find before. I attempt to catch it, but it uses up my remaining Poké Balls, forcing a reset. It's also worth noting that Synchronize works well here, because Paras paralyzes Gracie. However, the opponent immediately gets paralyzed back, making it easier to catch.

Also, I have a second encounter with a Paras when I start to go down to the lower levels. Gracie immediately uses a non-damaging move (Growl) in hopes that Paras will eventually paralyze itself. However, it keeps using Scratch, and Gracie loses more than half her health before I am forced to reset. I don't know why the Paras did that, but I suspect it might've been because of its low level. It was only level 5…

So continue heading down and defeat a Team Rocket member. He is nothing much, destroyed by a couple of Confusions without even getting to attack… I also find a Star Piece. That will help me with my money problems…

Also, I am not sure how to write Team Rocket into the story. They do make a resurgence, sometime during Mold Breaker (probably around the middle of it), but I'm not sure if Gracie is after them, because they don't really know of her importance yet… They might later, but I am not sure…

Anyway, I have a third encounter with a Paras, and this one manages to paralyze itself. Gracie takes a bit of damage, but it's an easy catch. I have a Paralyze Heal from earlier, so I can easily heal Gracie up. There are more Rocket Grunts down here, but they mostly use Poison Types and are not important.

What is important is something else.

The TM46, Thief.

This allows Gracie to have another attacking move, and something that isn't Psychic Type. Furthermore, Dark Type move are Special in the Kanto games, so they will run off Gracie's massive Special Attack. Also, a Dark Type move is very useful, because Psychics and Ghosts both come up in the late game.

So, I quickly teach the new attack to Gracie and continue on.

Trying to figure out how Gracie would react to that… Maybe she sees these people stealing, and realizes that in order to beat them, she has to steal things back…

From a gameplay perspective, many of the Rockets Grunts have Pokémon with Quick Attack. They still don't do much damage at this point, but it's worth noting.

Gracie tears through more Rocket Grunts, and I reach a Scientist. He's guarding a bunch of fossils. It is doesn't matter which I one take, but I have to battle him either way. Luckily, he only has Poison Types.

I choose the Helix Fossil. I'm a bit biased, thanks to the original Twitch Plays Pokémon run… For those who don't know, Twitch Plays Pokémon is a series of runs that heavily features the Helix Fossil. They're also very humorous, so anyone who enjoys a more comedic take on the Pokémon world should check that out…

And I'm on the route outside the cave… There are people who can teach Mega Punch and Mega Kick, but Gracie can learn neither move.

So I just proceed into Cerulean.

There's a lot to do here, starting with the north. I quickly heal up, sell my Star Piece, and head there.

Where the first thing that occurs is a Rival battle.

My Rival has stepped up his game, with his Pokémon near Gracie's level (Gracie was level 20, his Pokémon are in their late teens). He starts with Pidgetto, and the bird has the dreaded Quick Attack. It uses it to do a lot of damage, but Gracie soon defeats it with Confusion.

And that's when Gracie learns a very good move; Calm Mind. Calm Mind is an excellent move for Gracie, because it increases her massive Special Attack and Special Defense. With that, she can do a lot of damage, and take many moves as long as they are Special. It's also the first move she learns by level up. I quickly teach it to her.

Everything else goes without a struggle. However, I do decide to head back to the city, mainly to heal, and also to buy some potions. Now that I have the 10 Pokémon requirement, healing items will be of utmost importance. 10 Super Potions should do the trick.

Back to the north I head.

And on to the infamous Nugget Bridge.

There's still the person asking people to join Team Rocket, which I always liked. Too bad the player cannot join, but if they could it would be rather dark… The bridge is not difficult, because the opponents are weak and most are Poison Types… Gracie does nearly run out of Power Points, though.

I'm not sure how to write this part, really, since Team Rocket is here, but in Holly Rising, it is implied the person that gives the Nugget has been there much more recently than the resurrected Team Rocket. On top of that, it's also implied that this person is only distantly affiliated with Team Rocket… Of course, Usurping is a different timeline, so maybe things are not the same there…

Off I head to the routes near the Sea Cottage.

There isn't a lot here, other than a lot of Trainers and Gracie nearly running out of Power Points again. There are two useful moves here, though. They are Attract and Secret Power. The former might be useful later on, as a gives opposing gender Pokémon a 50% chance that they will not attack Gracie. The latter, while powerful, unfortunately runs off of Gracie's weaker stat. I probably won't be using it this run. It's worth noting that Secret Power can only be gotten now if the trainer in the bushes in front of it is made to move out of the way when he sees the player. Otherwise, the player needs to get a bit later.

And off to see Bill, the famous Pokemanic. Or should I say Pokemorph. I guess he is famous for that too, considering he's one of the few canonical examples in the series… I have to wonder what would've happened if he stayed like that…

Anyway, Gracie gets the ticket to the SS Anne, and time to head out back to Cerulean. Gracie needs to take care of a burglary…

And she does so flawlessly…

The first enemy Pokémon is weak to Confusion, but the second is weak to Thief. It's a Drowzee, another Psychic type. In tries to Disable Gracie, but fails. Talk about stealing something back from a thief… Maybe Gracie decides to fight dirty, and realizes she can steal the item back.

By the way, I'm not sure what the item will be at this point. It's normally the TM for Dig, but Gracie can't learn that… She will probably wind up giving it back to the person, just because that's the sweetheart she is…

And now the Gym awaits…

It's a Water Type Gym, which means Gracie has the advantage with her ability to ward off Special attacks… Here's hoping that will be enough…

It is, so far.

Gracie takes down both of the Trainers easily, with one hit for each Pokémon. She gets a critical hit on the second Trainer's Goldeen, but it's not like it matters.

Because now it is time to face the Leader.

I believe her Pokémon are around Gracie's level (Gracie is level 25). And I know her main Pokémon is resistant to Psychic Type moves. This really could go either way…

The first is a Staryu. That Pokémon goes down with Confusion.

But the real problem lies with Starmie.

It's Misty's second Pokémon, and it's her strongest. It survives an attack from Thief, and uses Water Pulse in retaliation. Water Pulse does good damage, and also confuses Gracie.

Here's hoping the rest of the battle goes smoothly.

Unfortunately, it doesn't. Gracie hits herself, and Starmie heals with a Super Potion (or recover; I can't tell from the animation). Luckily, Gracie still has plenty of health, but I wonder how long that will continue.

Another round of Thief and Water Pulse leaves both Pokémon injured.

Here's hoping I can finish this quick…

Unfortunately, I am not lucky, as Gracie continues to hit herself. I'm also able to confirm that Starmie is using Recover when it heals. I have to make a recovery of my own with a Super Potion.

Luckily, Gracie snaps out of confusion to use Thief. However, Starmie uses Water Pulse twice, confusing Gracie again.

And this time Misty _does_ get in a Super Potion. Gracie tries to attack back, but is still confused. When Water Pulse hits again, she is injured. Gracie still manages to land on attack at some point, though.

Gracie and Starmie both heal up the next turn. Starmie fires a Water Pulse, but by that time Gracie has snapped out of her previous confusion. With that, she takes Starmie out with two Thieves. The last attack of the match is a critical hit.

And finally the Cascade Badge is mine.

And Gracie learns a new move to show for it. The move is Psychic, the most powerful Psychic type move that is not also a signature move.

And then I'm left to reflect as I take a break.

I always seem to have trouble with Misty during my playthroughs. This is a large reason why… The developers thought it would be a good idea to give her a vastly updated moveset in the remakes, more so than any other Gym Leader in the game.

And in doing so, she becomes difficult to beat.

It's easier if the player does extra training, but training spots aren't exactly plentiful at this point. Furthermore, many of the Pokémon available are weak… And weaker Pokémon don't give as much experience…

But because of what happened with Misty, I already have a storyline planned.

There's a character introduced to the Traveler series recently, Miranda. This character appears in the first Pokémon movie, and in that movie, she is a harbormaster. She stays in the harbor seen in the movie, and said harbor is somewhere in Kanto. In this story, however, she is a member of the Coast Guard, traveling around all regions. Miranda has a tendency to pop up whenever someone has trouble with water. So, she sees Gracie having trouble with the Starmie and frantically trying to keep herself from drowning when she is thrown into Cerulean's water. She rescues her and tries to heal her up. Miranda asks about Gracie's mission, and Gracie tells her everything that's going on.

Miranda nods and explains to Gracie that her next destination is probably Vermilion, as it is the closest city Gracie can get to next. She also explains that she has to hurry to Vermilion, because they're preparing for a special voyage on the local ship, the SS Anne. As someone with duties related to water, Miranda has to help people prepare.

Miranda points out that the ticket Gracie has is for the special voyage, and wonders if she will go. It leads to an area with unique Pokémon, and there are plenty of Trainers to battle on the way. Miranda points out the voyage will be good for training, and perhaps Gracie will get hints about what she's looking for. She also explains the journey will only get tougher from here, and that Gracie needs all the training she can get. Gracie at first is not sure, because the voyage wasn't in the vision. However, she thinks Miranda shows good sense, and accepts. Miranda goes ahead to help out with the ship, but says that Gracie should contact her if she needs anything. Gracie should arrive in plenty of time for the voyage, so she does not need to hurry. Gracie only nods politely, and sets out the next day.

So, a story heavy update, but one that was pretty important. It's hard to believe that I'm already a quarter of the way through the first leg of Gracie's journey.

The experience so far has been interesting, but hopefully the battles in the future won't be as annoying.


	5. Ship Shock

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **5\. Ship Shock**

 **Day 4 (February 6, 2018): Kanto**

Back at it, this time because my current Internet issues are making it so I can't do the research needed to update Daughter. But Daughter should be updating again come later this week.

Instead, I'm doing research on another character.

And that is character is Lorelei.

In the original incarnation of the Traveler series, Lorelei was one of the few characters who had a good relationship with the protagonist. In exchange, she was also one of the few characters the protagonist liked and respected, and listened to.

Even though the modern-day counterpart (the protagonist of Usurping) is better around others, I still wanted Lorelei to have the closeness from before, or at least, be relevant.

So I came up with an idea.

As revealed in Holly Rising, Lorelei is part of a resistance group fighting to eradicate the crime in the regions. In both iterations, Lorelei asks to keep an eye and the protagonist, and her request is granted. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that Lorelei realizes the protagonist can be an excellent Pokémon Master, but is starting to head down the wrong path. She hope she can put her back on the right path, before it's too late. The other reason is that the League notices the protagonist of Uprising is incredibly unpredictable, and Lorelei brings up the idea of having someone watching her until they know what side she's on.

It's worth noting that in both timelines, Lorelei has left the Elite Four. In Holly Rising, she heads to the Sevii Islands to protect her home. In Usurping's timeline, she chooses to follow her other occupation as a teacher completely. At the request of the Leagues and when she is able, she travels around the world using her status as a Pokémon Master. She tries to teach and help young Trainers in hopes of watching them become Pokémon Masters themselves. She hasn't been too successful, given the amount of people against the League at this point. It's mentioned that no one has gotten the title since she has. This is because she is the only person ever to be called a Pokémon Master and have it be confirmed in canon.

The player does not truly become a Pokémon Master upon defeating Lance, because they still have to face the Champion. It's also noting that the other requirement in the games (completing the Pokedex) is completely optional. Mewtwo is sometimes considered a Pokémon Master, but the events that led him to become one do not happen in the Traveler series. In the official story, he does drop the title soon after receiving it. Lance is considered a Pokémon Master in Pokémon Chronicles, but it is unknown how canonical Pokémon Chronicles is to the rest of the Pokémon universe.

Anyway, it is while doing her duties as a Pokémon Master that Lorelei meets the protagonist several times. How the protagonist reacts to being watched is different in both timelines. In Holly Rising she's angry, lashing out at Lorelei. In Usurping, she's still angry, but doesn't show it. When asked why, she replies that if she lashes out, Lorelei will see her as someone suspicious, and the League will have no reason to trust her. Lorelei thinks that is fair enough. In Holly Rising, Lorelei fails in getting the protagonist off the dark path she is on, and the two part ways bitter at each other. In Usurping, Lorelei realizes she is succeeding, and also realizes the protagonist is trustworthy. It's also worth noting in Usurping, Lorelei trains many different Types of Pokémon as a Pokémon Master. However, she still retains her fondness for Water and Ice types.

And the change in setting leads into Garcie's story.

Garcie is still thinking about what it's like to be in a Poké Ball, and to be owned by a Trainer. Lorelei says she can show her. She offers to help her out, as long as Gracie does the work of battling. Gracie is confused, thinking she can't be caught, but Lorelei replies there is a mechanism where Pokémon can be in a Poké Ball without officially being owned by Trainer. Gracie agrees to travel with her, and so they do. It is unknown when this appearance will take place and if there will be multiple appearances, but at least one is confirmed to be in Sevii.

Gracie wonders about the whole business of being a Pokémon Master, and Lorelei explains there are several criteria. One is that a Pokémon Master must be stronger than the Champions and almost all regional authorities (such as those in the Battle Frontier). Another is that they must capture, understand the needs of, and care for all species of Pokémon (although they do not need to have them on hand at the same time). If any new species are discovered after someone has gotten the title of Pokémon Master, they are required to learn about them as well (or else the title is taken away).

Pokémon Masters need to know about the customs of all regions and the different ways Pokémon can be trained, although they do not necessarily have to train in these ways themselves. So, for example, Lorelei knows about Pokémon Contests and has participated, but she is not required to do the latter. She also knows about breeding, but does not consider that her specialty, and it is not required to be. Pokémon Masters are expected to defend the League when called, and also defend honest Trainers in all regions. The final requirement is that Pokémon Masters are required to travel around teaching others about their craft (or whatever else they might have, skill wise, that can relate to Pokémon), in hopes that they will find successors.

Gracie thinks it's a difficult job, but that Lorelei truly seems to care for Pokémon and people. Lorelei states that the final reason is why she's here, because she's watching over someone that she thinks could be her successor. The League doesn't know if the latter is the case, because the person appears to have lost her way. But Lorelei is hopeful the possible successor will find it again. Gracie wonders if this is the person that she is meant to protect, and Lorelei thinks that if Gracie is patient, she will see.

Speaking of Gracie, it's time to continue.

Time to get out of Cerulean.

If I don't get lost first.

Cerulean is rather confusing in that initially, in order to get out of it, one has to go through the hole in the house of the people that got robbed, then walk down in order to leave the city via the route to the south. If they want to go back up, they have to enter the way they came. I'll probably have Gracie doing something different, because the way through is rather awkward.

Also worth knowing that the first iteration of the Pokémon Day Care is here. Players cannot breed Pokémon in the game right now, but they can leave them for the couple to raise. It might be useful if Gracie gets into trouble, thanks to the speedup button. I won't be using the Day Care until later though, due to Gracie needing to learn all her moves first.

I wonder what Gracie would think about the Day Care, because I suspect she'll be having to do some training at least one of the runs. Perhaps she's considered having a mate, but decides she can't because she's too busy. Or maybe she doesn't want to have a mate, and finds the whole concept of having one awkward. Gracie is not currently planned to have a mate or children, so the latter would not be unreasonable.

I guess I should talk about Cerulean, seeing as I didn't mention my thoughts about it earlier. I was probably too angry at Misty… So I guess I'll start with that.

Misty is, unfortunately, not one of my favorite characters. She's supposed to represent characters who are typically standoffish but actually have a softer side that they don't want to show others. However, most of her interactions with others came off as rude to me. I like her bit better when she mellowed later on, but I find someone like May more believable (in that she starts out with understandably under-confident and grows into her role). I also like the fact that May became a separate person from her parents and their legacy, while Misty, despite all the maturing she did over the series, returns to Cerulean and does the same thing that most of her family did…

Speaking of Misty's family, there was one thing that never made sense. Misty's sisters clearly aren't good at battling, but they were minding the Gym when she couldn't. So what was happening when Trainers were challenging it? I know in the original episode at Cerulean, they were just giving Trainers Badges without letting them challenge the gym. Considering what the rules of Pokémon are, I'm surprised the sisters got away with it… It's implied that they were trying to get Pokémon that were able to battle, but having no success. And if Misty is the one that's excellent at battle, why didn't she help them?

Other than the complaints about Misty, I really like Cerulean. It is shown to be gorgeous in the anime, and there's plenty of people and plenty to do. Not to mention that I like things are near the water… I think if I had to pick a city to live in the Pokémon world, I would pick Cerulean… Of course, there is some serious competition coming up, but I will see it in due time…

Anyway, through the Underground. The Underground is written as long and dangerous in a lot of works, but there's really nothing here. I could see Gracie getting lost in the darkness, or wondering about the different colored parts of it (at least in the remakes). But other than that, I'm not sure how the Underground would be written. The only reason the player goes to the Underground is because Saffron is blocked off normally. It's not blocked off in Gracie's story, though.

Anyway, onto the road north of Vermillion.

It's worth noting that Psychic is incredibly powerful at this point in the game. However, it can only be used 10 times before it has to be replenished.

And my only other move is Thief.

Which means Gracie runs out of Power Points, and power itself, relatively quickly. I should've kept Confusion, but too late now…

Hardly anything survives a hit from Psychic, but there is a Butterfree that does.

It puts Gracie to sleep with Sleep Powder, and I don't have anything that can wake her up… To make things worse, the Butterfree confuses Gracie, and she had hits herself twice. She then gets hit by Stun Spore. Luckily, she manages to take the opponent out in the next hit with Thief.

Unfortunately, I have to back to heal. And probably write about a swarm of angry Butterfree…

And with that, I arrive in Vermillon.

There's a lot to do here, and the first is to get the Bike Voucher. I'm not sure how Gracie would use this, or what the equivalent would be. Perhaps her confusion is part of the story. And maybe the equivalent is something like the rollerskates in X and Y. Those were pretty fast, and I enjoyed using them. The Old Rod can also be gotten here, but it's useless in this run. Anyway, Gracie meets up with Miranda, who says she got there early. She states she still has time to explore some of the area surrounding the city, and talks about a place to train in the east. Gracie decides to go there, knowing that she will be back.

Unfortunately, the route has issues.

The biggest one is a duo of Magnemite and a Magneton. Gracie already has problems breaking through their defenses, and she is forced to rely on the weaker Thief because she used Psychic on other opponents… The three opposing Pokémon can do a lot of damage at this point with their Sonicboom. And they have access to both confusion and paralysis.

Unfortunately, this makes them very dangerous.

As Gracie soon finds out.

One of them started out with a Sonicboom which took down Gracie's HP. Others used Supersonic and Tackle, which caused Gracie to hit herself and further lower her HP. A particularly bad case is Magneton, because it has good defenses, is at a decent level, and has higher attack power. Not to mention all the annoying moves. When Gracie was weakened by the other attacks, it landed a Thundershock and paralyzed hit. Luckily, it was already wounded by several Thief attacks, and Gracie's final blow landed despite paralysis and recently shaking off confusion. She was very close to fainting, though.

And the same scenario happens with another Magnamite. It starts out by using Sonicboom, and Gracie uses Thief. Unfortunately, the Magnemite lands a Supersonic, and Gracie hits herself a few times. The Magnemite uses Sonicboom again, throwing in a Thundershock. It paralyzes Gracie too, for good measure.

At this point, Gracie has yet to fight off confusion, and she only has 24 HP left. I know the damage from confusion and Sonicboom will end the match. Gracie hits herself, but luckily, the Magnemite uses Thundershock instead. Gracie is about to faint, having only seven HP left. However, I am able to heal her, and finish the match. I have to heal her again, though, because the first turn after, she is paralyzed, and the turn after that, she's hit by a Sonicboom… After that, she _still_ comes out injured…

This could be the time that Lorelei appears, realizing that Gracie has gotten injured from the fight and taking her to a Pokémon Center. Gracie explains what she is doing, and Lorelei states that the path that is dangerous. She wonders if Gracie would like some help. Lorelei states that although other Pokémon can't really help her, there's no reason _a human_ can't. Gracie expresses her desire to see what the world is like in a Poké Ball, and shows off her ticket. Lorelei obliges, saying that she is heading for the same ship. She wants to check on the Pokémon that they will see on the voyage, before going back to the mainland to meet someone. Gracie agrees to travel together, provided she can still come out of the ball if she needs to, and Lorelei will let her battle whenever possible. Lorelei also agrees to the terms, but says that if she needs Gracie to stay in her Poké Ball, then she will.

Gracie at first decides the experience is a little odd, because she's just seeing everything while being carried around, as opposed to walking. It's also like her own room, and she wonders if she can decorate and store things in it. Lorelei chuckles and says it's not _quite_ like that, but there are ways to decorate the outside if Gracie wants. Lorelei explains that the device is mainly to keep Pokémon safe and is also helpful if she's injured again. Pokémon in Poké Balls go into a sort of stasis, where any injuries or things like that do not get worse or better. However, they still need to be treated as soon as the Pokémon is outside of the Ball. Gracie suddenly gets worried, wondering what'll happen if the Poké Ball breaks or is otherwise irreparably damaged with her inside. Lorelei says the damage would transfer to Gracie, and whether or not she is injured or even killed depends on _what_ broke the Ball. For example, a fire would probably injure or kill her, Poké Ball or no. However, since Gracie can float with psychic power, a fall would do no damage to her.

Lorelei goes on to explain that Poké Balls have a mechanism whenever the capsule is damaged beyond repair. This mechanism automatically releases the Pokémon, so that they can try to save themselves. This also is so that the Pokémon are not bound to a broken machine. If the Poké Ball itself is not damaged, and something does happen that could be fatal, then Trainers will sometimes send Pokémon back to their Balls to protect them. This conversation foreshadows something that happens in Usurping, as well as explaining an event in the Alola games where a Pokémon survives a fatal car crash because it was sent back into a Poké Ball at the time of said crash.

Anyway, Gracie continues along the route.

Luckily, the rest of the route is easy.

But one area is not as easy.

That area? Diglett's Cave.

This area is short, and leads to a few extra items. However, it also holds only Diglett and Dugtrio.

Which is dangerous.

The problem is that Diglett are fast and do a lot of damage. On top of that, they have an ability that traps other Pokémon provided they are not flying (which Gracie isn't). Luckily, they don't have much stamina, so one attack is generally enough to defeat them.

I'm not sure why Gracie would go in here narrative wise. Probably because Professor Pine calls her and she realized she forgot a reward. Gracie has to go back near Viridian, and the cave is the only way through. Lorelei tells her not to worry, and she says she will protect her. Gracie is a bit terrified though, thinking that the cave is the perfect place for danger.

All someone would have to do is trap a person that can't fight inside the cave, and let them fall prey to the Pokémon. Lorelei shakes her head, asking who would do that. Gracie simply states, "I don't know. A monster." Lorelei replies that there are no monsters here, and Gracie says, "I meant the _other one._ The _human term._ Lorelei replies again, "Well, there still aren't any monsters here. So we are fine." This conversation foreshadows an event in Daughter, where Holly does just that to a bunch of unsuspecting police officers.

And I forgot to go get Cut from the SS Anne. So I go to the cave and have to go back… However, there's not much there.

Until I get an encounter with a rare Dugtrio.

Dugtrio are much higher leveled than their unevolved counterparts, and they are just as dangerous. For the record, one of them is level 29, and Gracie is level 30… Their unevolved forms are at least 10 levels _lower than that…_ The Dugtrio manages to hit Gracie with Dig and Sand Tomb. She is injured, but wins the fight with two Psychics.

As for how that is written, I would probably make it so the trees that normally block the player's way don't exist. After all, that's why I went to the cave. The event is more significance if Lorelei is with Gracie, and she is confirmed to leave after the events of the voyage on the SS Anne.

Gracie nearly runs out of Power Points, but I make to the city.

Where I then board the SS Anne.

The SS Anne is not very straightforward. It is long, and there are lots of different exits and entrances. There are also many Trainers to battle. There's not much healing, although there is a place to rest at the start. The Trainers also carry a lot of money, and most optional battles waiting behind nearby doors. So they're worth fighting, even though Gracie gets rather low on Power Points, and needs to run back and heal.

And I have quite the story for it.

Gracie and Lorelei are greeted by Miranda, who welcomes them aboard the ship. She seems delighted that Gracie would have such a strong traveling companion. Because of her status, Gracie gets her own room and a few other things. Lorelei also lets her out of the Poké Ball, saying that Gracie may as well explore the ship because she's never been on one before. Gracie is overjoyed and immediately interested. The ship takes off, and Gracie starts to realize her stomach is hurting. At first, she tries to shake it off, but it gets worse. Gracie tries to eat, but has no appetite. She thinks she can float above the ground, but she can't concentrate enough to do it.

Gracie starts to feel a bit disoriented, and is found by Lorelei and Miranda. Lorelei asks Gracie what's wrong, and Gracie says her stomach hurts. A wave knocks Gracie off balance, and Miranda catches her. Gracie feels almost dizzy, but is unable to explain why. Miranda smiles and says there's nothing really wrong with her. She's just seasick. Lorelei replies that _of course_ she would be, because it's her first time ever going on a boat.

Gracie says she wants to go back to her cabin, but Lorelei wonders if they should take her topside to look at the horizon. Miranda looks at Gracie and realizes she probably wouldn't make it topside. Lorelei could put her in the Poké Ball, but it won't help Gracie if she's alone. Lorelei wonders if Gracie can just float above the ground, but Miranda thinks that's a horrible idea because every time Gracie does that she's using psychic power. Miranda mentions that she can't even begin to count the psychics that had thought they could survive seasickness with their powers, overestimated how long a trip was, and ended up in the infirmary out of exhaustion. Gracie still wants to battle in order to train, but isn't sure what to do.

Lorelei thinks there's always next time, and she could use some of her motion sickness medicine. However, Miranda shakes her head, saying that Gracie needs to be in top condition in case anything happens. Motion sickness medication on its own will make her drowsy. Miranda tells Gracie to sit in a nearby chair and grabs some medicine. She fills up a glass of water and tells Gracie to take it. Gracie is a little hesitant, but decides the stomach pain is worse. Gracie wonders what Miranda gave her, and Miranda calls it a Coast Guard cocktail. It helps with motion sickness while also making Gracie alert. Normal people usually don't have access to it, at least without a doctor. Gracie wonders if she can visit a doctor so she can get some of that. Lorelei thinks she should try it soon as she hits the mainland. Miranda thinks it might be worth it, considering a lot of the regions are traversed to and from via boat. Eventually, Gracie feels better, and continues exploring the ship. Lorelei asks if she wants her to go with her, but she declines.

It's also worth noting that in this story, the SS Anne never sank, so it's seen at the end of the Kanto arc. Also worth noting that since Gracie's seasickness medication is not vital to battle, she keeps her when she gets depowered.

I have to say that I really like the SS Anne, since I love the music and I like boats. And I feel like the anime episodes where it sank were really well done (especially the desperation, the Trainers working together, and the chaos within). Not to mention the part about the different ways of all the characters getting out of the ship was clever and interesting. Like the way the various Pokémon attacks were used, and demonstrating the Pokémon's abilities in the changing situations. Not to mention each of the characters used the unique skills they had (even James and Team Rocket, unsuccessful though they were). And the ship sinking from the inside could really be seen as the characters struggled to get off of it. Plus the sorrow the characters felt when it looked as though Team Rocket didn't make it was very real… I think it was one of the best episodes in the anime. Even though the SS Anne sinking made no sense…

Speaking of the SS Anne, time to finish it.

Pretty easy, but there's a lot of Trainers… I have to head back for Power Point restores… Also, the TM for Rest is found here, along with the TM for Brick Break. Gracie doesn't really need Rest, and can't learn Brick Break… I feel like she may make some reference to resting to sleep off the seasickness, and Brick Break about how she doesn't need fighting moves because she's going to confound everything that comes at her…

In other news, Grace tries to learn Imprison, but does not. Imprison's fairly useless, because it requires the foe to have the same moves that the player does… And that rarely ever happens…

Getting near the end of the ship, and time for another Rival fight. This one is really simple, with everything being defeated by Psychic, except for Kadabra, who is defeated by Thief.

Time to go to the captain… This is one part that never really made sense to me… For starters, why would the captain be so seasick that the ship won't even start, and why wouldn't he take seasickness medication or something before he started moving the ship? Maybe he's new at the job, but the game implies that's not the case…

Anyway, Paras learns Cut and I can leave the ship.

But not before one more story update.

The voyage should not be long. Lorelei, and occasionally Miranda, tell Gracie stories to pass the time. Eventually, they arrive at the destination, a lone island. Miranda says that this is an island where one can see Pokémon 10 times their normal size, but since others can steal them or even try to catch them, the government designated it protected land. Now, the Pokémon wish only to remain hidden from the outside. However, provided the League has given permission, boats will take people to see them. This is similar to Island of the Giant Pokémon, only the Pokémon in the island are real.

Suddenly, Team Rocket or someone else appears. Miranda is shocked, saying that Team Rocket shouldn't know about this place, and wonders how they do. Lorelei says there's no time, and have to fight to protect passengers. This might also be Silver's rebels, disguised as regular passengers and hoping to take out Lorelei and Gracie. Of course, they would also want the Pokémons' power for themselves. In any case, there is a fight and Gracie risks her life to protect Lorelei, feeling the bonds between Pokémon and Trainer. She tries to head in to what she believes will be a fatal attack, believing it will buy the others time to fight back. However, Lorelei recalls her, and the fight is completed.

A few days after this, the group travels back. Gracie gets incredibly sick during this, partially because her stamina is a bit lower after the fight. The seas are also bit rougher, and Miranda thinks it's a bad sign of things to come. Gracie's vomiting a lot, and while Miranda is able to get the medication down her throat, she thinks Gracie most definitely needs to see a doctor when she gets to the mainland. Luckily, Lorelei helps Gracie get to a doctor and get the required medication. Thankfully, Gracie is still considered part of Professor's Pine's group, and is able to get her to help pay for it. Lorelei asks her how she feels about being in a Poke Ball, and Gracie replies that although the experience is interesting, she much prefers traveling outside one.

She wonders where to go next, and Lorelei says she should visit the Gym. Gracie is surprised, saying that she's a not Trainer. However, Lorelei mentions that the Leader is very strong, and, provided Gracie can pass his test, he may be able to teach her techniques that will make her more powerful in battle. And if she's going to continue on her journey, she needs all the strength she can get. Gracie nods, and the two part ways.

So now I'm at the Vermillion City Gym. One of the most infamous Gyms in the games, only because of the switches in the trash cans… Their trash cans are in all four directions, and the player has to find a switch in two of them… Finding one and guessing wrong for the other makes them reset… There's some strategy, in that the switches will be always right next to each other, but that could be any of the four directions… I've always gotten lucky with this puzzle, though, so I wonder if that will continue…

It doesn't, unfortunately.

I fail the first time, and I have to put the game speed down, because I keep overshooting the trash cans. It takes me a while to find the right set of switches, but eventually, I do. The Trainers fall easily to Psychic…

I wonder if the test will be different in Gracie's story, such as the idea of stealth and having to find the hidden switches before being attacked… It makes a lot more sense than just rummaging through a trash can…

Anyway, Lieutenant Surge's up next.

And he falls without a struggle. His Pokémon don't last long, with his strongest being time levels below Gracie. Surge gives Gracie Shock Wave, which I teach to her immediately. It will be useful, especially in the late game…

So, I have this as Surge teaching Gracie Electric attacks, impressed by what she's doing and that she passed his test. In the end, Gracie knows Shock Wave, and wonders if she will shock her foes into surrender. She hopes that is not the case, because that would mean she is fighting a war.

In any case, she looks at her map (meaning the map the player got at the beginning of the journey) and realizes she has tied back to Cerulean. With that, Gracie wastes no time retracing her steps.

Overall, Vermillion City is one my favorites, because it's a harbor town. Lieutenant Surge is also an interesting Gym Leader, because he is the Pokémon world's only example of a veteran, and because he is a darker character contrasting against what is usually a light hearted franchise. Not to mention his voice acting in the anime is superb…

But enough about that. Next time I will head back to Cerulean, taking on the next area.


	6. The Future Foretold

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **6: The Future Foretold**

 **Day 5 (February 7, 2018): Kanto**

Off to do some backtracking, but first, an addendum. For the 3DS games, there has been a slight rule change. In the case of the previous games, I can trade Pokémon, but the games won't recognize them as my own. Instead, the reregistered as if they came from another person. This is because I cannot trade in Eggs (which would then hatch and be registered to the game they were hatched in, even if they were created in a different game). Therefore, I was originally going to start with Gracie anyway, and have her be a traded Pokémon.

However, this creates a problem; obedience.

If a traded Pokémon's level gets higher than the cap allowed by the amount of Badges, the Pokémon may disobey. This means that the player may randomly skip turns, get hit with a status ailment, or have their Pokémon use moves other than the ones they had told it to use. In a regular run, other Pokémon can cover for the one that is disobedient, and the player's level is normally lower. But in solo runs, there's no Pokémon to do that, and the level of the Pokémon doing the run is often very high.

Therefore, disobedience becomes a _huge problem._

I remember I did a previous solo run that was nearly lost because I had a disobedient Pokémon. My level was very high, and I didn't take that into account. As a result, I really struggled in battles for most of the game until I was able to get enough Badges. To make matters worse, this was in Alola games. The other games in the series are pretty good at increasing the cap for traded Pokémon obedience levels, but Alola noticeably isn't…

Unfortunately, Alola is one of the games that _has_ the traded Pokémon problem…

So I have two solutions.

In all of the 3DS games, I will proceed with a traded Pokémon until I can get a Pokémon that is registered as mine. That Pokémon will be leveled up to the level of the traded Pokémon, and become the new Gracie. In Kalos, Ralts is found early on, so this is not difficult to do. Storyline wise, it's found near a forest that resembles Viridian, so Gracie might find it nostalgic and decide to train there. In Alola, this is a bit harder, because Ralts cannot normally be found. Therefore, I'm planning on progressing to the area where the player can breed Pokémon, using Pokémon that were carried over from other games, and breeding a new Gracie. This is a little less than halfway through the game, so it will be a bit difficult.

In the story, Gracie because the confused by all the changes in Alola, and has difficulty adjusting to battles there. However, she is able to do some training at the Day Care Center and learn more about them. When she emerges, she feels her head is cleared. It's worth noting that the Day Care Center in Alola cannot typically train Pokémon, but it could in all other regions. So for the purpose of this story, I'm making it able to do so.

Also wanted to something for Vermillion. Lieutenant Surge has a connection to the as of yet unreleased legendary Pokémon Zeraora. Originally, I wasn't planning on having that connection being known in Gracie's story, but I've changed my mind. The reason is because of a scene in Usurping, where the protagonist has to fight against Zerora early on. Gracie is the only one that can handle it, allowing the protagonist to add it to her team. Gracie is also able to win the fight after the protagonist and her team are nearly killed. Originally, the justification for this was that Gracie is the only fully evolved Pokémon on the protagonist's team at this point. But if she's fought Zeraora before, then it would make a lot more sense that she would know how to combat it.

And as I head back to Cerulean, I reminisce one final time.

This was the area that led to something that can only be described as a route split. And that route split led to a certain character becoming very important when she was not before, in all books. Originally, the Traveler series was only three books long, but now it has progressed to three more books thanks to that route split. And then the three books led to side stories, many one shots, and even something taking place in the far future.

All because of that character.

Who is now the center of the spotlight for many of the works, or at least indirectly influences most of them. Some people influence her, and she meets many of them, however brief.

I thought perhaps the Traveler series was because I wanted to see if I could do an RP after joining out of impulse.

But maybe I just wanted to see the character I created years ago come alive again…

Whatever the case, she's now a part of Gracie's journey, as the latter heads towards Lavender.

I pick up the bicycle, still pondering what Gracie will use in the story. I'm leaning heavily towards rollerskates, because it would make sense, and it would be funny. Not to mention that it foreshadows something Gracie will eventually do in Usurping.

But anyway, time to enter the next Route, on the way to Lavender.

Luckily, the Trainers are easy, and I now have enough offensive moves to alleviate the Power Point problems.

However, the _real problem_ is the ledges.

I'm going so fast that I usually end up missing them, or jumping over ones I don't want to and having to start again… Somehow I still make it through… Maybe I can work this into the story. Gracie losing control of her new rollerskates, perhaps?

Route 10 is next, but there's not much here, other than a Pokémon Center. The main attraction, the Power Plant, won't be visited in this run.

Maybe Gracie just doesn't have a vision to go there, or she recognizes the power of the legendary Zapdos and decide not to mess around.

Anyway, something that _is vital_ to the run is Rock Tunnel.

Which has always been one of my most hated places ever. It's not too much of an issue on this run, but on other ones it's an absolute nightmare… It's because the Tunnel has fairly powerful Pokémon and Trainers for this point of the game, is long, has limited healing, and if the player doesn't know the move Flash, it's difficult to navigate. Unfortunately, this game isn't very good at letting the player know where to find Flash, and the move is not that useful, so the player probably doesn't think to use it… Luckily, later regions were better at getting the player Flash, although it still remains rather useless…

Anyway, Gracie's form of Flash is a giant flashlight. She's able to make it through safely, but she notices rocks that might fall. One of them looks like it is going to fall, and does. Luckily, Gracie teleports out of the way, and it is grateful she had the light.

Another person asks if she's okay, and Gracie ends up shining the light in the person's face accidentally. The person yells that it is bright, and Gracie hastily apologizes. The person also apologizes, stating that it is all right and sorry if he startled her.

The person is revealed to be Will, and his recent wife, Karen. Will recognizes Gracie, but Karen tries hard not to laugh. Gracie thinks she must look rather stupid, and that she must be humanized. Karen thinks she's picked up so many human customs that she may as well be a Trainer. Gracie wonders about Pokémon training other ones, remembering a Meowth that did that. Karen believes that Gracie is between a human and a Pokémon, almost like one of the Pokémorphs.

Gracie asks if that's a bad thing, but Will responds that it's interesting. Will wonders if this will lead to new types of relationships between people and Pokémon, and they will better respect each other. Will laughs, wondering if someday, Pokémon will train Trainers. Gracie thinks that's interesting concept, but normally not a good one. It's something Pokémon use when they don't want to work, and she hasn't seen it used for anything else.

The group continues having a pleasant conversation, and then parts on good terms. This foreshadows a few things in Usurping, particularly when Gracie _does_ end up training a Trainer. Will promises to give Gracie a battle when she is strong enough, and Karen is interested in seeing how she can handle Dark Types. This also foreshadowed later in the run, when Gracie actually _can_ battle them in Johto. Despite the fact that there are Elite Four members of Kanto here, Gracie will not battle them until the second arc. It's also worth knowing that the Elite Four are much more active here, because one of their duties is to check on the stability of their (and sometimes other) regions.

Also worth noting that Power Point issues are more of a problem in here. One of Gracie's main moves is Shock Wave, but many of the Pokémon here are part Ground Type. That makes Shock Wave useless against them. So I have to use my first Power Point restore item, an ether. I have to be careful with them in the future, though, because they cannot be bought. Some Pokémon also survive Gracie's attacks, hitting her with status problems. One of them is an Oddish, who paralyzes her with Stun Spore. I guess even Gracie gets tired in the cave…

It's also worth noting that this is the first place where a move tutor can be found. These people can teach a Pokémon a rare move that used to be a TM in the older games. However, the move can only be learned once. This particular move tutor has Rock Slide. I imagine Gracie would be spooked, considering rockfalls in Rock Tunnel are pretty a big deal in the Traveler universe…

Anyway, I make it to Lavender Town. It's one of my favorite places, both because of the backstory behind Mr. Fuji and also because of the association with death and spirits despite being a quiet town. Not to mention the music for the place is awesome…

So, I can head to Pokémon Tower now for some extra experience, but I'm not going to. This is mainly because the player cannot clear it until completing the events in Celadon. It's a bit of a long trip, so I don't feel like going through twice. Storyline wise, Gracie can sense restless spirits there, and is too uncomfortable to go. She mentions that some humans can help with spirits, and wonders if she will find one.

With that, she travels to Celadon.

The next Route is very good for training, as there are many Trainers that can be fought again and again. I probably won't train much this run, but it's good to know, and remains one of my favorite places.

Except I encounter something annoying.

A double battle.

Double battles are annoying because they typically cannot be accessed on a solo run. Double battle Trainers will not challenge the player if they only have one available Pokémon. However, solo run makes it so they cannot really use any other Pokémon, even if they have others in the party. The only way for a solo run to access these battles is to have Pokémon that are not trained, have them act as partners, and force them to faint so that only the solo Pokémon gets experience.

This is what I decide to do, having Gracie use Calm Mind to waste turns until all three of the other HM Pokémon faint. She doesn't take much damage, but she does get put to sleep by Jigglypuff.

I could see Gracie having trouble with two against one in the story, but decides to fight anyway because it might be useful. Of course it turns out to be useful later in Emerald, when one of the people that fights the player in a double battle is a Gym Leader…

Off I go throughout the route again. The biggest thing is having to run back to heal after Power Point issues, but luckily, it's a short distance.

And heading to the Underground for a second time… Thankfully, Gracie has the flashlight, so she uses it here. I can't think of a reliable reason for why Gracie would want to avoid Saffron, but perhaps she wants to avoid it because Sabrina's reputation precedes her and the Trainers are supposed be dangerous. Of course, that later turns out not to be the case, but Gracie doesn't know that…

Anyway, Gracie heads into Celadon, and her politeness and beauty wins over the people there. Gardevior represents femininity, kindness, devotion, and beauty. So I think that it would be well received with Erika and a city that values those things. Anyway, Erika find out Gracie likes perfume and flowers, and this goes over well with the rest of the inhabitants. There's also a friendly old lady that gives her some tea, which Gracie enjoys.

The old lady talks a bit about Erika and Sabrina being friends, and Gracie finds out from Erika that Sabrina really isn't as bad as she seems. Erika thinks that Sabrina would enjoy a brave Pokémon like Gracie, and one that she could hone her psychic abilities with. Erika goes on to say that she and Sabrina help train others to deal with emotions, and that is something that requires kindness.

On a bit of a more personal level, Celadon is one of my favorite cities. I enjoy the concept of flowers and beauty (even though I'm not good at gardening). And I've always liked big cities… Erika is one of the more interesting Gym Leaders, being feminine and quiet when most of them are not. Not to mention, it has a bit of a different standard of beauty and culture, which is fascinating to learn about… I also used to like perfume when I was younger, so I think Celadon might draw out that particular hobby that I used to have…

It's worth noting Erika is also interesting because I first learned about her via her anime appearance. In this appearance, she's noticeably more aggressive, and not afraid to confront those that have done something wrong (and even discipline them herself). She still has a kinder heart for those who deserve it, however. Imagine my surprise when I got to the games and realized Erika was the exact opposite of her anime persona. I really wish the games would've merged the two… But the game persona was where I got the idea of Erika having an adopted daughter, since she's the only higher up in Kanto (or near it) where that would work.

Anyway, on to the rest of the city.

Gracie sees a bunch of TMs for the Game Corner, and stares longingly at them. Erika tells her not to taint herself by gambling at the machines, and although there is another way, it's very tedious. Gracie decides she is plenty strong, and heeds Erika's advice. At some point, she sees a young girl running into the Game Corner. Gracie wonders who she is and why someone so young would be at the machines.

Gracie also wonders if she should do anything, but is stopped when Erika also comes running in. Erika drags the young girl out of there, and quickly disciplines her. Erika explains that this is her adopted daughter, Holly, and that she's a bit too attached the machines. She'll sometimes run off without permission, and despite Erika telling everyone not to let her in, she finds ways to get around them.

It's worth noting that Holly is at legal Trainer age, if not close to it, at this time. In Mold Breaker, she starts out at five or six years old when the protagonist there begins to travel. Four or five years pass, that protagonist is still traveling, and some of the events are set in motion. So Holly being old enough to travel as a Trainer is possible. Gracie wonders what to do if Holly acts up again, and Erika says that she finds Holly acting up, she has her permission to discipline her. Gracie thinks that's odd, and wonders if there's some maternal instinct in her that would allow her to do that. Nevertheless, she moves on.

Gracie decides to enter the shopping mall, but is unsure what to get and quickly gets lost. She then meets a woman named Phoebe, who offers to help take her shopping. She explains that while she's not originally from the region, she knows it quite well. There's a former Elite Four member, Agatha, who retired. While Phoebe did not take up her position in the Elite Four, she spent many years training as Agatha's student, and is now considered her successor as a Ghost Type specialist. So she travels the world helping out with that. Phoebe laughs, thinking that it was interesting because she and Agatha are complete opposites.

Gracie remembers how she always thought Ghost Type Trainers were creepy or crazy, but Phoebe is anything but. She also shudders, says she realizes she instinctively doesn't like ghosts. Phoebe figures this out, and explains that Psychic Pokémon actually have a natural inclination for Ghost Type moves. If she has time, she should train with her so she can learn some. This is a reference to how many Psychic type Pokémon can learn Ghost Type moves.

Phoebe also states that psychics and ghosts have many similarities, and Gracie wonders what those are. Phoebe explains that one of the things is that they can both help people can't help themselves. Gracie is confused, but decides not to inquire further. This is actually a reference to the protagonist from before who uses psychic Pokémon to help her move in Holly Rising's timeline and ghost Pokémon in Usurping.

And now it's time for me to get a move on.

First stop, the apartment buildings, where Gracie gets some tea. I have to take it to Saffron to get access through there, although I won't be going there yet.

Next up, the department store. Celadon department store has very good items, and Gracie could use a move upgrade.

Unfortunately, she can't use any of the TMs here that are not defensive, and this run really doesn't have any need for defensive moves… She does get a bunch of Lemonades here though, Lemonades being a good price and one of the best items in the game at this point… I will write it into the story as her enjoying Lemonade…

Anyway, off I go to the next place, the Gym.

One can do either the Gym or the Game Corner first, but both must be cleared to continue on with the game.

I usually do the Gym first, because it's easier. In story, what represents the Gym will be second, however.

Grace tries to learn Future Sight, but I don't want her to. Future Sight is powerful, but it only starts after two turns have passed. It is useful in the earlier games because of its ability to hit Dark Types, but that ability was lost later on.

Anyway, Gracie may have a vision here. She sees a vision of someone, but is unsure of who it is. The person appears to be attacking evildoers, doing a lot of damage and even killing. Gracie hears that the person is hailed as a hero, and a powerful Trainer. Gracie remembers how envious other wild Pokémon can be of those that are owned by a Trainer.

At first, Gracie wistfully wants to become that Trainer's Pokémon. Later on, however the person is seen being incredibly sad, frustrated, and distressed. On top of that the person seems angry at themselves, and there are others that are disappointed in them. In particular, the Trainer is standing around a bunch of graves, and Gracie shudders as she thinks she knows where they may have come from. The dream eventually fades, but leaves Gracie shocked. She tries to tell Phoebe about what was going on, but Phoebe is unable to help her. It is worth noting that the dream Gracie had was the dream of the protagonist of Usurping with her past as a vigilante, and later, the destruction it causes. Gracie thinks this is something dreadful, and wonders if this has anything to do with the disaster she foresaw.

Story aside, Erika's Gym is easy, because almost every Grass Type Pokémon in this game is part Poison. With that, I quickly get the Rainbowbadge.

But now for the main attraction.

Celadon City is home to the Game Corner, but it's also home to a rather annoying dungeon. This dungeon must be cleared to continue the game. It is very long, so I may not finish it now.

What makes this dungeon so annoying is that there are panels that make the player character spin in one direction until they hit something. This dungeon is nearly impossible to play sped up, as I quickly found out because I can't see where I'm going… I slow down the game, but I still go the wrong direction and in circles several times… Eventually, I get to an elevator that almost marks the end of the dungeon, but I need to heal…

After that, I quickly head back.

A ride to the elevator, and a few more battles, and it's up against the boss Giovanni.

At first, he doesn't seem much tougher than his brethren, with his Onix falling to Psychic. However, his Kagaskan uses Fake Out, survives a hit from the previous attack, and uses Mega Punch. This powerful attack hits, nearly halving Gracie's HP. This is despite the fact that Gracie is about 20 levels higher than it. Luckily, another Psychic almost destroys it, allowing Gracie to finish the match on the next turn. His next Pokémon, Rhyhorn also falls quickly to Psychic.

And with that, the gameplay ends, but there's a bit more story.

Team Rocket has begun making a resurgence, and has launched one of their first attacks. Erika thinks that of course they would resurge in Celadon, one of the places they were first encountered. I am not sure why they will be attacking and what they will be doing at this point, but I do know the attack will probably be brutal. Erika and Phoebe decide to help ward off the attack, and ask Gracie to help. Professor Pine also appears here, stating that she can't allow a Team Rocket to run wild.

Except there's a problem.

Erika's daughter, Holly, hates bullies, and insists that she can fight Team Rocket. Erika says she can't, because she still a child and not even an official Trainer. Holly tries to cite the legends of Red and Blue, and how easily they took down Team Rocket at her age. She also tries to use this as a reason to say to Team Rocket are losers. However, the others remain firm, saying Team Rocket is still a group of dangerous criminals. Phoebe adds that Red and Blue were prodigies in their time, and that Holly is nowhere near their level. Erika says it's too dangerous, and she needs someone to watch the city with her. It's a big responsibility, and Holly's more than ready for it. Phoebe states she's a bit worried, leaving a child defenseless during such a large attack. Erika replies that she will give Holly some Pokémon, stating that she has enough knowledge to defend herself if the need arises.

Holly frowns, but does as Erika asks.

Later on, the group is planning what to do about the attack, when Erika comes running in. She says she and Holly were protecting citizens, but then Holly took off in the chaos. Erika has a very bad feeling that Holly went off to the Rockets' hideout, and asks to go with the group to look for her. The group agrees. Prof. Pine wonders if they should split up, because the building is large. Erika thinks that's a bad idea because then their strength would be diminished. So the group goes together. Some of the others fight off Rockets so that Gracie can take on the ones she is able to.

The spinning panels still appear here, but they have much less of an effect. Gracie tries to step on one and goes spinning. She immediately vomits, her motion sickness kicking in. Someone asks her if she is all right, and professor replies Gracie found out she had motion sickness. She suggests Gracie takes her medicine, and holds back until it kicks in. Phoebe responds that she can help by having her ghosts hold back the vomiting episodes or getting Gracie to a safe place if she does need to vomit.

Phoebe then unfortunately realizes that there's something on the traps so the group can't bypass them unless at least one of them goes to the end. Gracie picks herself up and says she will do it, because she can teleport. Professor Pine states, "But your motion sickness…" Gracie simply replies, "can wait"." With all the trouble those Rockets have caused, they deserve to clean up a mess…" Erika responds that this is fair enough, provided Gracie comes back the instant it becomes too much. Gracie says she will and goes on.

She manages to get past the spinning tiles and somehow teleport everyone to safety. However, Phoebe thinks that taking the medicine will be no use because she's throwing it all up. Professor Pine and Erika both realize Gracie looks rather pale, and she can't be feeling too well… They try to get Gracie to stop, but she refuses, saying that time is not on their side if Holly is in danger. Phoebe says at least Gracie should drink some water, and she does. It's worth noting that for this story, the two rooms with the panels are combined into one.

Eventually, Gracie becomes separated from the group and realizes she has to go on her own. She's shakily makes it up to Giovanni, and realizes he has Holly hostage after defeating her in battle. He says that a child stupid enough to go up against an evil team alone deserves to be punished. Gracie, despite her illness, resolves to fight him. However, while she is able to take down his Rock types, she can't concentrate enough to reliably dodge blows from his Kangaskhan, and is hurt. Gracie can start to hear the others coming, but knows they will be too late. She thinks of saving Holly, trying to get her thoughts on track so she can defeat the enemy Pokémon. Luckily, her rage at what Holly has done manages to save her, and Gracie wins the fight.

The others arrive, but Giovanni gets away. Gracie collapses on the floor, feeling like she's going to vomit again. Erika and Phoebe take Holly, while Professor Pine takes Gracie to the hospital. She spends a lot of time unconscious and with an IV, but also senses someone trying to heal her, and eventually wakes up feeling better.

Gracie immediately thanks Professor Pine, but Professor Pine says Erika was the one to help with and pay for her treatment. She was also the one to treat her in the hospital, thinking that it was the least she could do because Gracie saved Holly despite the former's illness. This is also the first time Gracie sees what she believes to be an angel, but has no idea why it's there. Instead, she thinks about how Giovanni was almost happy that he lost, and Professor Pine says as a member of a major crime syndicate, it would take more than just one setback to finish him off. Gracie wonders what Professor Pine knows, and is about to ask when Erika comes in. Erika is relieved that Gracie is okay, and Gracie is about to leave.

Suddenly, Gracie is challenged by Holly. Holly wants to prove that she can take down the evil teams and that she didn't need Gracie's help. She glares accusingly at Erika, saying that people allowed the Mold Breaker to fight the evil teams, and Erika says the Mold Breaker isn't real. Phoebe says that if the person was here, none of them would be around. Gracie is confused, thinking Mold Breaker is only a Pokémon ability.

Holly thinks Gracie is just a lone Pokémon, and that this will be easy. She challenges Gracie with the Pokémon she borrowed from Erika before, but is easily defeated (the borrowed Pokémon being the ones from Erika's Gym challenge). At this point, Holly says that she only lost because Gracie attacked her, but Erika says she's had enough. But before Erika can do anything, Gracie steps forward. She decides she wants Holly to feel the pain of all the people and Pokémon the evil teams' efforts, including the people Gracie hurt today. She also remembers the vision of the person from before, thinking of all the people _she_ has hurt or have been hurt. Gracie sends a Holly a psychic set of images, trying to set her straight. However, Holly doesn't seem to be remorseful, still blaming Gracie for everything. Erika thinks she will get over it, because she is just angry, and thanks Gracie again for saving Holly.

Gracie asks about the Mold Breaker, and Erika replies that it's just a traveling Trainer with visions of grandeur. Many people don't even know if that person is real. Phoebe replies that according to legend, the Mold Breaker is supposed to be very strong, at least as strong as the Champions. Said Trainer fights evil, alone and sometimes unnoticed. As such, the police have hailed the Mold Breaker a hero, and the Trainer saved many lives. But the Mold Breaker's also ruthless to people and Pokémon, and is not hesitant to kill to achieve her goals. Some people whisper that the Mold Breaker likes to win by any means necessary, even if it means hurting others. Gracie thinks that someone like that _belongs_ on the evil teams, and Phoebe's eyes harden as she says, some say. It's worth noting that Phoebe knows the Mold Breaker because the two met each other, but they don't know each other personally yet. Regardless, Gracie wonders if the Mold Breaker has anything to do with the vision she saw.

She asks Phoebe if she can help her with the spirits in Lavender, and Phoebe agrees to. Phoebe thinks they should go there right now, and the two set off. However, as they are leaving, Gracie sees a strange light. She asks Phoebe if she saw it, and Phoebe replies she did. Gracie wonders what it means, but thinks it can't be anything good.

Regardless, she puts it out of her mind and sets off.

And that's it for now. So bit of tie-ins with the other stories, and a bit of the history behind Usurping. Also some foreshadowing for some of the other books (most noticeably, the sequel to Holly Rising, Flowers Falling, and its idea that no matter how powerful the kid Champions become, they can't realistically take on the evil teams without serious consequences, and if the evil teams know about them, they will have a means to combat them, also a little of Daughter as well, and the consequences children running off on their own). There's also a bit of Mold Breaker here as well, with the evil teams and the fight against them along with the consequences being a major theme.

With this update, the first arc of Gracie's run is halfway through. Hard to believe, but the run is going smoothly. Here's hoping it continues…


	7. The Long Haul

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **7: The Long Haul**

 **Day 6 (February 10, 2018): Kanto**

Was originally going to do an editing day today, but decided to do another entry instead. The main reason was because of a busy day and I didn't feel like doing the tedium of editing. Furthermore, my Internet issues should resolve late tonight or tomorrow, which means I can post to all sites at once, instead of only a few. It should make things easier.

I may make another addendum to the rules. I recently learned that the Johto remakes have a lot of glitches if they are not played with a hard copy and a member of the DS console family. Unfortunately, I wanted to make the run easier by playing it with a randomizer and a PC. However, there are many things that can cause difficulties, including freezes and a notorious crash that can occur about halfway through the game. People have gotten around this by constantly saving, and I've yet to encounter any of these glitches on other files. However, I also have not gotten far into the Johto remakes on an emulator, so that may be it. I will try to do it that way by saving frequently.

However, if I do encounter difficulties, I do have a complete game of Platinum that can easily trade a Ralts Egg over to Heartgold. If the game crashes in the middle and I am unable to proceed, I will simply use the data from the first time I went through an area. The exception is if something radically different occurs in repeated playthroughs, and I think the different material would be better for the story.

But I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

For now, gameplay awaits.

And the next area is the infamous Pokémon Tower.

In this area, ghosts are everywhere. But they are not ordinary ghosts. They are actually unable to be fought. Any attempts to perform an action will automatically fail, because the Pokémon will be too scared to move. The ghosts will not attack either, instead constantly telling the player to leave. This does not affect Trainer battles within the Tower, and they can still be fought normally. However, if the player enters the Tower with the Silph Scope in their inventory, the ghosts will become regular Pokémon that can be fought as usual. This will also allow the player to progress to the top floor.

I find it an interesting mechanic, and one that I wish appeared in other games. At the time, I found it a bit odd, because my first experience with Pokémon Tower was in the anime. In the anime, this mechanic does not appear. Also worth noting that the player cannot fight the battles even with super-strong Pokémon. So it can be pretty odd to have a legendary Pokémon being unable to fight a ghost… But as roundabout as the mechanic is, I like it because it really shows the creepiness of the Tower, and the fact that the Pokémon world is not as cheerful as it seems. Add in the creepy music and the possessed Trainers one must fight to reach the top _(especially_ with the original games' script), and the terror of the Tower was really done well…

There were a few more references made to ghosts after this, but they were mostly relegated to optional scripts and side quests that never really went anywhere… Even the ones that went somewhere were rather lighthearted… It just shame, because I feel like there was a lot more potential for that particular story element… Maybe the developers thought Lavender Town was just too creepy, and wanted to tone that story part down... Considering the general reaction to Lavender Town was one of fright (even for older players) that is not far-fetched…

But it still remains my favorite of the Pokémon burial grounds, mainly because of the lore.

So Gracie decides to explore it. Note that in this story, Phoebe acts as the Silph Scope, because Gracie has no need to visit the tower more than once. She leaves after Gracie is done with it.

First up, a Rival fight.

Unsure how to write this one, because the people who have dead Pokémon in the Traveler universe have already become accomplished Trainers… Maybe Nia decides to visit to mourn someone, or perhaps Gracie has to fight some restless ghosts…

Anyway, the fight is easy. Pidgetto and Gyrados get taken down by Shock Wave, Kadabra gets destroyed by Thief, and Growlithe and Ivysaur are defeated by Psychic…

Either after Gracie fights off the restless spirits, or Nia tells about people acting strangely, Gracie and Phoebe continue. Phoebe is worried for the people in the Tower, and believes that they should go up. Gracie shares her concerns, knowing nothing about restless spirits, but thinking things sound dire. She briefly gets afraid about what will happen if she gets possessed, but Phoebe assures her she will save her from any possessions. Gracie nods and they head up.

The ghosts here don't pose much of a problem. This is because the three Ghosts introduced in Kanto are also part poison, so Garcie is strong against them. Thief is also super effective against Ghosts, so Gracie can hit them easily…

Which leads me to my next story point. Phoebe notices they people normally guarding the tower are possessed, and says that Gracie should battle them for the experience. She thinks that maybe attacking their also-possessed Pokémon will help get rid of the possession. If all else fails, she can dispel it. She mentions it's easier to get rid of a possession when a target is weakened. Gracie complies, and they save all the guards, but Phoebe is still worried. Gracie wonders if the ghosts around here are responsible for the possession, but Phoebe shakes her head. None the tower's normal ghosts have been acting hostile, and they all seem to be in fear of something. Furthermore, the ghosts have lived here for longer than anyone has known, and they've never caused trouble like this. Even if they did, the people here would know how to handle them.

Phoebe's eyes harden as she thinks that it is something else. Something that no one could prepare for. Gracie wonders if _they_ are prepared, and Phoebe says they'll never know unless they keep going.

And that leads to a boss battle.

The mother Marowak.

This is one of my favorite examples of Pokémon lore. Not only is this one of the few examples of dead Pokémon in the games, but I believe this is the only one that's dead on screen. It makes it both creepy and an interesting plot point. It also worth noting that Pokémon Origins had an anime adaptation of the scene, and the Pokémon actually did die on screen. It's one of the few times that happened in the anime (I think it's happened only three times), and the person in question has not been revived.

Anyway, onto the fight.

The Marowak is interesting in that it will appear as a ghost even if the player has the Silph Scope. However, if the player actually has the Silph Scope, the game will automatically use it and the Pokémon will be identified. This Pokémon is higher level and stronger than what is normally found at this point. Furthermore, the game treats the encounter as a wild Pokémon battle, but trying to catch the Pokémon has it dodging the Ball and the player losing their turn. I'm not sure if the player can run from the fight, but I'm assuming no.

The fight itself is fairly easy. It's only one Pokémon, and there's plenty of weaknesses to exploit at this point. Gracie just takes it down with one Psychic. Story wise, this is one scene that I thought never made sense. The Pokémon is confirmed to have died in battle. The problem is because defeating in battle is supposed to calm it down and make it depart to the afterlife. But how it is beating up supposed to calm it down when it died from being beaten up in the first place? Luckily, some fan interpretations take a different route, and I don't think Pokémon Origins used battle at all…

I'm also taking a different interpretation. By changing the spirit and the motive entirely.

Gracie tries to move up the stairs, but is confronted by a spirit. She's a bit confused, but Phoebe realizes this is a Porygon-Z. She hears the name Levi, and figures that is the spirit's name. Gracie is a bit terrified, thinking it wants to be hostile to her. She wonders if this is the spirit that's distorting everything in the tower, but Phoebe shakes her head no. However, Levi does seem to wonder about Gracie, simply because it is curious. Phoebe wonders if the spirit is playing with Gracie, and states that some spirits come back to occasionally to do that. Phoebe states that the spirit wants a battle, and Gracie obliges if it will help her reach the top.

The battle is fierce, but Gracie does not win. Phoebe comforts her, saying perhaps when she is stronger. Her eyes suddenly grow hard as she states "I can see that you're restless. Why do you not pass on?" Levi simply wails "My Trainer is in trouble... That thing…" Gracie replies. "What is it? What thing?" Levi only responds "Save her… Save my Trainer…" He then fades away. Gracie is still spooked, but Phoebe puts a hand on her shoulder. She explains that spirit is still around, but she doesn't think he is the reason for the problems. Gracie is still concerned about what they heard, but Phoebe thinks that they may get an answer by heading up.

Which they do.

Heading up leads to encounters with Team Rocket. Luckily, they're not that difficult. Explosions are factor, but Gracie can defeat them so easily, it's not an issue.

Which leads to some more story.

Gracie gets to the top of the tower, but all the sudden, another spirit appears. This spirit lets out a cackling laugh, but Gracie cannot see its face. Whatever it is, it appears combative, and Phoebe winces and glares. She says this spirit is particularly malevolent, and thinks that this is the cause of all their problems. She tells Gracie to be careful, and Gracie nods. Gracie tries fighting the spirit, but it doesn't seem to be weak to any of her attacks. On top of that, she has difficulty fighting something she can't see. She hears another cackle, and realizes the spirit is close. It almost feels like the spirit is forcing its way inside of her, and that she's no longer herself. She realizes that the spirit is beginning to possess her, and tries to fight it.

Gracie can hear Phoebe yelling for to fight it, but she doesn't could be able to. There are many Pokémon appearing to try and help her, but the spirit repels them all. At the same time, she is aware of powerful psychic power, as if she was seeing something in the future. However, she cannot tell what that something is, or why it would be even here. Gracie continues to fight, but feels her will slipping away.

Just when she thinks she isn't going to make it, someone slips something on her left wrist. A soothing voice says for her to stay calm. Gracie tries to ask who this is, but cannot speak. The voice says, "Nod your head if you can hear me." Gracie does, and realizes the cackling sounds almost frustrated. She wonders if this is some sort of exorcism, but cannot ask. The voice responds "Do not speak. Focus on your friend." Suddenly, Gracie hears Phoebe's voice screaming. "Gracie, listen to me. Focus your power on the jewelry, and that my signal, unleash everything have within yourself!" Gracie is confused, wondering how she supposed to do that when the only thing she has within herself is an evil spirit. Suddenly, Phoebe yells again. "Gracie, do it now! Mega Evolve!"

Gracie resist the urge to scream as she feels her body changing and her power increasing. She can only see light, and wonders what is going on. The spirit also seems to scream, and Gracie wonders if this is hurting it somehow. Regardless, she can feel her body stop changing and the light dissipated. She is confused over what happened, but there's no time to think about it. Gracie knows the spirit is still there, and is heartbroken that whatever they did didn't work. She does recall moments of clarity, as if a hand has let go of her, and wonders if something happened to the spirit after all. Suddenly, she hears Phoebe's voice again. "We don't have much time and we only have one chance! Quickly Gracie, use the most powerful psychic attack you have on yourself. I know it will hurt, but it's the only way to attack that spirit! Do it, before it possesses you again!"

Gracie gawks and doesn't know if she will survive. However, she can feel the spirit overtaking her again, and realizes that a chance at survival is better than no survival at all. Therefore, in a brief moment of clarity, she concentrates all her psychic power and directs it herself. Gracie hears her screams blend with the spirit's as she howls in pain, but hopes she is hurting it. However, all she can see a psychic light, and feel the pain of being hit by her own powers. After a while, Gracie can see something flying out of her, and can feel her body returning to normal.

Phoebe asks her if she's okay, and Gracie responds that she is. Gracie responds that Phoebe saved her, but Phoebe says "Don't just thank me", thank Mr. Fuji. Gracie looks towards a man, noticing he is elderly and wearing a kind smile. She thinks that this is Mr. Fuji. The man explains that he is indeed Mr. Fuji, the head of the Pokémon Tower. The process Gracie used was called Mega Evolution, and it's used to make Pokémon that usually cannot involve any further even stronger. He predicted that the spirit possessing Gracie wouldn't be able to contain the new power, and thought that this was the best way to save her life. As for why he has the power, he usually gives out the power of Mega Evolution to Trainers, so he carries the supplies with him.

When Gracie asks why Phoebe was using it, she replies that Mega Evolution goes easier if someone has a strong bond. And as brief as the bond between Phoebe and Gracie was, it was powerful. So it was enough to Mega Evolve. Phoebe nods, saying it's a testament to how well Gracie can understand the emotions of others, and Gracie gets a bit embarrassed. Gracie then asks about the spirit and what happened to it.

Phoebe's eyes grow serious, and she says Grace's attack chased it off. The Tower should be back to normal, but the spirit is still out there. Phoebe adds that Gracie will have to be careful. Gracie gets a terrified look, but Phoebe explains that the spirit now knows that Gracie can fight back. So it probably won't possess her again. Gracie relaxes, but then says how she felt like something was happening in the future when she fought the spirit. Phoebe's eyes still harden, and she states that the thing she fought very well could have been from the future. Phoebe goes on to say that it would explain why no one could get rid of the spirit, because Gracie was fighting something that didn't exist yet. Gracie's eyes go wide, wondering how such a feat is possible. Phoebe replies that time means nothing to spirits, and that they can appear from the future and the past fairly easily. So the spirit might not exist permanently yet, but briefly, it could. Gracie is terrified, but Phoebe says they will keep an eye out for more encounters.

Mr. Fuji politely walks in on the conversation, and says that he would like to give Gracie a reward. Possession or no, she fought off the spirit in the Tower, and as such, deserves something in return. He slips something else on Gracie's wrist, and she wonders if it's related to the power before. However, Mr. Fuji explains that this isn't. Since the item Gracie used is originally his, he has to take it back. Gracie is disappointed and looks down at what he did give her. She's not sure what it is, but Phoebe says she is lucky, because it's her very own wrist radio. Trainers sometimes wear them, and they can use it to play music to Pokémon. There's a lot of different stations available, and if Gracie likes music, she should definitely check it out. She also asked the Pokémon react differently depending on the type of music that's played. Mr. Fuji nods, saying that it's something many Pokémon enjoy, and he thinks that it will suit Gracie well. Gracie tries to stand to thank him, but realizes she can't.

Phoebe thinks that they should take Gracie back to the Pokémon House to rest, saying that possession can really drain the body. Mr. Fuji agrees, and Gracie goes back to the Pokémon House that Mr. Fuji owns. Gracie however, finds she can't sleep. Phoebe thinks they should try that radio now, and starts switching it around. She finds Pokémon Lullaby, and says that it always makes Pokémon sleepy. Gracie doesn't think she could fall asleep from a simple lullaby, but finds it rather effective. Phoebe giggles, and says super effective as Gracie falls asleep.

When Gracie wakes up, Phoebe is with her, and says that she and Mr. Fuji pronounce her fully recovered. Gracie wonders where to go next, and Phoebe think she could use a break. She says she's heard Fuchsia is really pretty, and there are lots of places to train. Gracie decides to head there next. Mr. Fuji says that while she is there, she should say hello to his son and granddaughter. Gracie is simply nods and moves on. It's worth noting that in this story, Mr. Fuji and Dr. Fuji are father and son.

The games implied that Mr. Fuji is the same person that created Mewtwo and works with Pokémon to atone for what happened. However there is an inconsistency, because in the anime and original games, it is stated that that the scientists died after creating Mewtwo and having it escape from the lab, Mr. Fuji included. So, in order to rectify the inconsistency, I made them different people.

Gracie having the radio has to do with an item that the player typically receives at this point. Usually, the player gets the Poké Flute, which awakens all sleeping Pokémon on the field. However, Gracie can't play the flute, so she gets a radio card instead. This also happens to the player in the Johto games, where they can upgrade their radio to play the flute. The different reactions for the Pokémon have to do with the games, where music could either repel or summon wild Pokémon depending on what was played. In Pokémon Snap, Pokémon can also have different poses depending on the player's music.

So off Gracie heads to Fuchsia, playing music all the way. It's worth noting that I usually do Saffron first, because it's closer. However, the game expects the player to do Fuchsia first and then Saffron. I decided to do things in order for once, especially since Gracie needs a break story wise. My tendency to do Saffron first actually comes from the anime, where Saffron was done before Fuchsia _and_ Celadon.

Anyway, the road to Fuchsia is long, and there's a lot to do there, so I may not do it all in one go.

But I will see.

The road to Fuchsia is also pretty dangerous, because of the very long time without healing spots. It will most likely be even more dangerous on this run, because Gracie can run low on Power Points.

But I will see how far I go.

Meanwhile, I get a TM for Return. Not all that useful on this run, unfortunately… I probably would have maximum power with it, though, at this point…

The Trainers at the start are fishermen at a fishing hole. Aside from one annoying double battle, they have only weak Water Type Pokémon. These Pokémon can be taken out with Shock Wave.

But that's not the real attraction here.

The real attraction is Snorlax, blocking the road.

It usually is dangerous on several of my playthroughs, being high leveled and much stronger than anything seen in the area.

But I have to fight it to get through.

Luckily, it's easy as Gracie takes down in two hits… This is not the last she will see of it though…

I also have a feeling I will make the scene a bit more lighthearted in Gracie's story. So instead of attacking the Snorlax to make it move, Gracie plays the radio. The Snorlax dances and is otherwise feeling energized, and Gracie might dance with it. I always liked the way Snorlax danced to the flute in Pokémon Snap, so I may as well have things the same here…

Regardless, clearing out Snorlax opens up healing in Vermillion, so I head there quickly before moving on.

Gracie makes her way down the route, proceeding to the one with many gates.

And then something happens.

She runs of the Power Points.

I'm starting to get low on Power Points, but I'm far away from the safe spot in Vermillion. Before long, I can't attack, only having Calm Mind as a move.

Unfortunately, I'm up against a Spearow. Spearow are notorious for their physical attacks, and on top of that, they have ways to lower Gracie's already notoriously low defense… She gets injured several times, and I try using all the healing items I can to make her healthy…

But finally, she gets access to it.

Struggle.

A move that can hit any type, but also damages the user.

It's implied from the moves description that it's taking a toll on the Pokémon, and might otherwise be painful.

Luckily, it has enough power to defeat opponents, and the recoil isn't that bad.

Therefore, I decide to let Gracie use it until I reach the next city.

Perhaps there might be something in story about her being tired, but having the will to continue on despite fighting being painful. Although she might be worried about hurting herself, she resolves to continue on for the sake of her mission. Maybe someone finds her and helps her to the city (probably Miranda, although it could easily be someone else). Or perhaps it's just a new move she learns to use one things get tough and she's exhausted all other options. Considering every Pokémon can learn it though, this seems unlikely. But she also drinks her favorite lemonade to keep herself healthy, and may put on some bouncy music in order to try and help with her fatigue. After all, I'm trying to use lemonade on Gracie to help with the recoil damage. It's worth noting that I have Power Point restoration items at this point, but I want to save them for the end of the game.

Anyway, on Gracie goes.

Gracie wants to learn Hypnosis so she can learn Dream Eater later. However, I don't let her learn it, mainly because Psychic is the better move, and Hypnosis hardly ever hits…

And then I start to run into trouble…

There is a trainer that uses the poison type Koffing and Grimer. They have the Smog (Koffing) and Sludge (Grimer). Not only do these moves do a lot of damage, but they also poison Gracie. Combined with the recoil from Struggle, the damage adds up... I start having to use a lot of healing items, including one Hyper Potion. I get to half HP or less several times, and at one point I'm in the red… It's worth noting that Struggle is a physical move, so Gracie's not doing nearly as much damage as she normally would. A lot of Pokémon that would typically be taken down by one attack are taken down by two or three, or sometimes even four. And that gives opponents enough time to hit back and target her measly defense… I didn't think to stock up on extra Antidotes, but thankfully I have a few…

A similar experience also happens with another Biker, and Grimer seems to be doing more damage than Koffing… Hopefully I can get through the route…

And then another double battle… Unfortunately, Gracie can't force her partners to faint, so they gain some experience... I'm not using them for anything else, though…

More injuries, as Gracie takes damage from a Raichu's Thunderbolt, and also gets paralyzed by Static… Luckily, I have a Cheri Berry to heal her, and I'm nearing the end of the route…

However, injuries abound. There is an Ivysaur with a critical Razor Leaf, a Pidegetto with Wing Attack, and a Wigglytuff with Doubleslap. All throw Gracie into the yellow. And then of course there's the infamous Koffing and Grimer combo from a Biker, complete with its evolved form Weezing… Many lemonades are used to keep Gracie healthy, and I run out of things that can heal poison... Luckily, the place is not much longer…

Speaking of Weezing, one almost beats Gracie with a Sludge critical hit… It takes her down from full to half in a single strike… Thankfully, I still have healing items…

My luck with healing items runs when out I meet an Oddish and Gloom. The former paralyzes Gracie, and the latter puts her health down with Acid. Unfortunately, I don't have any more items that can heal paralysis, so I have to go it alone… Dodrio is also a problem here, with its Tri Attack doing a lot of damage. I still have means to heal Gracie's HP, but those means are dwindling…

And the troubles do not end… There's a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan duo that does a lot of damage, and also a Tangela that fights fiercely… Some Bird Keeper also thinks it's a great idea to use Sand Attack on Gracie until her accuracy is very low, then pound away with physical attacks…

Luckily, Gracie manages to beat them all and head into Fuchsia.

Where she gets a well-deserved rest. And I will stock up on healing items first thing I get.

I entered the route with a Hyper Potion, seven super potions, and 32 lemonades. I exited with nine lemonades.

Next time, I take on the routes the west, get a few new tools, and finish up everything in Fuchsia.


	8. Cycling and Shooting

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **8: Cycling and Shooting**

 **Day 7 (February 13, 2018): Kanto**

Welcome back to another round of Diary! Probably going to be pursuing this story a bit more aggressively, so I can get it done and move on to other things. Not that I don't like doing the story, but the way it's set up means that it will take a while, unless I do it more aggressively.

So let us begin.

Doing this story makes me think of how much I like challenges. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, though. Perhaps a monotype challenge, but I've never successfully completed one… I have a few difficulty hacks lying around, so I might do one of those. The metronome run also sounds interesting, although I'm not sure how far will get before I make myself crazy… I've done the Nuzlocke challenge many times, so I doubt I will do one again.

Speaking of the Nuzlocke challenge, I have a lot of story elements that were related to my Nuzlockes, and now that I've lost interest in that type of run, I'm not sure what I will do with them. They were supposed to tie into another story I was doing, but that story is also completely being redone… A lot of the elements of both stories got placed into the Traveler series, and a found out the protagonist I was trying to use works better with only a single fandom (rather than the multiple fandoms I was trying to combine in the other stories). I also prefer not to use the protagonist more than once, as then a lot of things are repeated… Some of the plots of the Nuzlockes may do well as standalones, but others will not.

So I guess it just depends on each individual setting.

Anyway, on to Gracie's tale.

Gracie asks Miranda what she's doing here. Miranda replies that there are many areas with water in Fuchsia, and that it's her job to protect them. One of the areas is the beloved Safari Zone. Although the Leader usually protects the area, Miranda sometimes takes over so she can have a break. She also states that a lot of travelers come tired and injured after the long way to Fuchsia, so Miranda usually helps out with that. Miranda warns Gracie to make sure to stock up in the city, because the areas around here are even longer. There's usually a lot to do, so people often stay here for a while. And the routes to the west are not easy to traverse, as they are just as difficult as their counterparts in the east. Gracie nods, taking the advice.

So off to the west we head, after grabbing some healing items.

Unfortunately, the routes to the west of Fuchsia are bike routes, which make them nearly impossible to traverse with the speedup function…

Which means I have to slowly go through normally…

Not to mention that the particular area is Cycling Road, and the thing about Cycling Road is that no matter which direction the player heads, they will always keep heading downward…

And that makes progress _even slower…_

To make matters worse, I have to heal up after Cycling Road, mainly because there is a lot of Trainers waiting at the top of the routes, and I am almost out of Power Points… Luckily, it's a quick trip away… All the Trainers here go down easily to Gracie's offensive moves. Worth noting that some of the Fighting Pokémon have Seismic Toss. This move does damage based on the user's level and nothing else. That alone can make it pretty powerful… It's something I have to watch for…

I wonder how Cycling Road would be written in, because Gracie doesn't exactly have a bike... She probably would be flustered over the downhill slope. Perhaps someone could teach her how to navigate it… I have no idea who would, but the best person for this canonically would be Korrina. Korrina's all the way in Kalos, and she really has no reason to come to Kanto, however… It's worth noting that I can also see Blue teaching her about it, or even Red. Scarlet and Azure, their children, might also be good options, although they would be busy with the positions of Champion and Gym Leader, respectively.

Anyway, the top of the route serves as a good training spot, because it's another area where a bunch of Trainers are clustered in one place. I also remembered that I didn't get the Versus Seeker yet on this run… Not like I need it…

Instead, I head through the gate, where Gracie finds a familiar face.

Snorlax.

This is the only set of games where Snorlax appears twice (aside from those where it is a regular wild Pokémon). Luckily, it's the same as usual. One Psychic takes it down…

But the real treasure is further up. It's in a little house, surrounded by trees.

It happens to be the HM move Fly.

With Fly, I can travel to any area visited before instantly. It's very useful, and not bad in battle either…

As for the story, I'm not sure how I would work this in. I knew of one hack that replaced Fly with a jet pack, so maybe that's what Gracie gets… I also like the little side quest in that it's actually a famous Trainer running away from her fans… I'm not sure how I would portray that in this storyThe only person that really has that scenario is Diantha, and she doesn't seem to particularly annoyed about it… Steven might be another option, but he doesn't seem like the person to have a secret hideaway either. Anabel's yet another one, but she is so calm about everything that she might not mind having a lot of fans… Wallace and Glacia are stated to have a lot of fans, but the games don't say how they feel about that…

The protagonist of Usurping is seen being startled by paparazzi, getting anxious around fans, and running away (sometimes to the point of outright attacking them to get them to go away). She might be the most likely option, but it's also worth noting at this point she has developed an intense discomfort around Gardevoir… And _then_ there's the issue of them recognizing each other later on… She might do anything she can to get Gracie to go away, giving her an item in exchange for that and telling her to keep things a secret. Gracie could find the encounter odd, but oblige. The encounter's so brief that Gracie doesn't connect it with some of the other things she has heard… And of course, the protagonist of Usurping chooses to forget…

Anyway, back to Fuchsia.

There's one more side quest to do here before taking on the Gym.

And it's one of my least favorites.

The Safari Zone.

Usually, I wouldn't go in the Safari Zone, because I can't catch any more Pokémon, and the Safari Zone is all about catching Pokémon.

But I have to go in here and make it to the end for a required item.

Unfortunately, it's easy to get lost, and there's a step counter.

I only get 600 steps before I'm forced to leave and reenter. And it costs a bit of money every time I do… Luckily, the developers never did anything like this again for later games…

Anyway, Prof. Pine still tells Gracie about the secret item in the Safari Zone. However, the step counter is gone in the story because it doesn't make much sense. It's just replaced by Gracie getting lost a bunch of times. Oh, and there might be a Team Rocket attack, as they work to steal the Safari Zone's many Pokémon, while knowing that only defenseless civilians are in their way…

But that is neither here nor there, as it's time to actually traverse the place.

Except I end up getting lost, even though the Safari Zone has some good items… Including something called a Quick Claw that allows Gracie to sometimes strike first when she normally can't. I quickly attach it to her, so that she can use it when fighting faster opponents… Maybe she uses it to outspeed Team Rocket…

Speaking of Team Rocket, I have to figure out how guns work in this universe… The Pokémon world canonically hardly ever uses them, due to being intended for a younger audience and otherwise being lighthearted… Not to mention that it's implied that Pokémon can overpower guns… However, there are still instances where people using them would make sense (e.g. law enforcement officers, the military, or some of the villains). To make matters more complicated, the protagonist of Usurping comes from a family of sharpshooters and hunters. Therefore, it would make sense for her to have a gun, carry it around, and properly know how to use one.

I'm thinking that gun laws in the Pokémon world would be not as strict, because Pokémon are the main means of defense. I'm thinking mainly about this because of the anime episode where the Safari Zone _did_ feature and there was a trigger-happy warden. He pointed his gun at Ash, but it was mainly intended to be used for comedic effect. However, that message didn't transfer when the episode was supposed to be dubbed, and so the developers decided not to air it… I think that was one of the few episodes where guns were used. The only other one I can think of is one where Ash almost gets shot because he is nearly mistaken for a Team Rocket member… And then there's Hunter J, but she's shown to be pretty ruthless, so it's not that unexpected…

The Traveler universe is darker and intended for older audiences, so of course guns would be used more. I'm also thinking mainly because of Team Rocket, because a couple of other fan interpretations also had them using guns, with the explanation that they would use whatever weapons they had at their disposal to secure their goals. One particular story had Lyra being unaware of this When she tried to sneak into Johto's Radio Tower, a Grunt that confronted her and wounded her with a gun. It's unknown what happened to her after that, because the story unfortunately did not continue. However, it is mentioned that she was surprised and caught completely unprepared.

I feel like something similar would happen to Gracie, because she hasn't seen a gun at this point and probably doesn't know what it is. Team Rocket would probably use guns, but Gracie would not be shot herself. Miranda might tell her to be careful, explaining to her that human-made weapons can be as strong as any Pokémon, if not even stronger.

As for the protagonist of Usurping, she trains all the Pokémon possessing her to turn their attacks into something similar to guns, complete with the required power and sometimes even a sound effect. This is not because of how guns are treated, but because the protagonist realizes due to her physical disability that she does not have enough speed to pull out a gun to save herself. Not to mention that a regular Trainer with a gun would look rather suspicious, when almost no one has one. Needless to say, a few other Trainers are upset that she uses her Pokémon that way, but she explains her family's history. Also worth noting that said protagonist also uses other weapons with the ghost power. These weapons include a bow and arrow, a dagger, a spear, martial arts, and a sword. She also explains that her family often enjoyed any form of weaponry and the idea of self-defense. The protagonist states that even though she can only defend herself with Pokémon, she may as well defend herself in different ways. Miranda might also mention this when Gracie asks about her again, but she still can't make the connection about the encounter in the house.

The only other confirmed case of a gun being used in the Traveler series is when Miranda uses one to shoot Mallory after the latter goes out of control. It's unknown what anyone thinks about this at that point, but it is generally agreed Miranda was acting out of self-defense (since Mallory attacked her directly) and she was someone who would typically own a gun.

But all that lore will be saved for later.

Luckily, I get the Surf HM at the end of the Safari simply by remembering where I was going before.

Now I can get out of the place.

I quickly deliver an item (Gold Teeth, found at the end of the Safari Zone) and get the HM for Strength.

It's off to the last area, the Gym.

This Gym is pretty easy, because its invisible walls are not too much of an issue. Not to mention most of the Trainers use Poison Type Pokémon. There are some Psychic Types, but they get taken down by Thief. Koga himself is not much of a challenge, with every Pokémon he has being weak to Psychic. He gives out Toxic, a very good move. I teach it to Gracie over Calm Mind. Even though Calm Mind is also very good, Toxic allows Gracie to indirectly do damage to opponents. It makes it very useful for a certain fight later on in the game… Not to mention Calm Mind is possible to get back later.

So instead, I focus on the lore of Fuchsia Gym.

And now much I dislike one of its leaders.

In canon, Koga leaves his position for a spot in the Elite Four. His daughter Janine takes over the Gym. She does the same thing in Holly Rising's original RP.

Except I have a problem with this.

One is how Janine's character is handled. Her main shindig is that she wants to become better than her father and any Trainer who beats her. It's fine and all, but that's really all there is to her character. She's also rather bratty, even to those she likes. Gameplay wise, it's rather confusing as well, because she's one of the weakest Gym Leaders despite appearing near the end of the games…

Not to mention how she's handled in the canon.

The canon almost acts like she doesn't exist, and then she randomly pops up in the Johto games. She is so obscure that when the Kanto remakes tried to make a reference to her, the translators didn't know who people were talking about and gave her the wrong name… The original games made no mention that Koga _ever_ had a daughter, and neither does the anime (not even in any of the later episodes, where it would've made sense to have her appear).

So really feels like there was no reason for Janine's existence other than to have Koga move up.

But there _is_ a character who would have fit Janine's role perfectly well.

And that character is someone called Aya.

Aya is an anime exclusive character, and she is Koga's younger sister. Unlike Janine, she's not disrespectful, but can be combative if she feels threatened. She's also an interesting character, as she goes through development, is knowledgeable about traps, and is shown to be a competent battler. Aya's also strong in other areas, like those involving poetry, night training, and beauty. Aya was also around and established as part of the canon long before Janine even came into existence. It would have been very easy for her to take over the Gym.

Yet the games don't even acknowledge her.

So I decided to fix that.

In Usurping and Gracie's story, Janine still exists. However she's a traveling Trainer, and has nothing to do with the Gym. Instead, Aya takes over. The Fuchsia Gym itself also received a revamp. In the games, it only has the invisible walls. In the anime, it still has the invisible walls, but also a whole bunch of other traps. These traps will be added into Usurping and Angel.

So first, Aya appears to help defend the Safari Zone. She also comforts Gracie after the latter is spooked with her first exposure to man-made weapons. Aya asks if Gracie would like to learn something about them, so it won't be as frightening later. Gracie responds that she would. Aya says that there's a test using some of these weapons in Fuchsia Gym, and if Gracie can pass it, she can learn a secret technique that can help her out against any foe. Miranda nods, saying it's a good idea. So Gracie decides to enter the Gym.

She still gets startled by the Gym, but manages to make her way through the many traps and including some of the weapons there (such as daggers, throwing stars, smoke, and man-made triggered explosions). Aya appears at the end, and says she will teach her a secret technique that is hundreds of years old. She says that there is a deadly weapon, one that can take down almost any foe, be the person or Pokémon. Gracie wonders what that is, and Aya replies that it is poison. Long ago, ninjas were able to take the power of poison and make it into a move that almost every Pokémon could use. She unveils the move to be Toxic, saying that it will slowly drain the opponent's health. Gracie is concerned about fighting dirty, but Aya points out that she had to do that to reach here, and she probably did it during her journey. Gracie, although hesitant, learns the move.

Aya then explains that she hadn't seen anyone that determined since the Mold Breaker. Gracie is surprised, asking if the Mold Breaker passed the test. Aya replies she did, in record time. Gracie wonders if she used man-made weapons too. Aya replies that she did and didn't, because she couldn't use man-made weapons. It was too difficult for her. But she had a bunch of ghosts that could, using their shadow abilities. She had ghosts craft the shadows into whatever weapon she wanted, with the only limit being her imagination and their skills. It wasn't long before she had entire arsenal. Apparently, she descended from a family that had trained in weapons, so it wasn't that far-fetched. Aya shakes her head, saying that the Mold Breaker has been avoiding Fuchsia. The League are trying to keep tabs on her, but no one has figured out why she's behaving that way. Her brother in the League is worried, because the Mold Breaker appears to be becoming more and more unpredictable. Aya suddenly apologizes, saying that she didn't mean to take up Gracie's time with a story. Gracie says that is fine, and wonders if this is related to what she is meant to protect.

And that ends Fuchsia. Bit of a slow update, but important for the lore. Next that, I will head to Saffron, one of my favorite parts of the game.


	9. Psychic Power

**And now to another chapter of Diary! I don't own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **9\. Psychic Power**

 **Day 8 (February 16, 2018): Kanto**

Off to Diary again! Saffron City marks the latter half of Kanto, and also the latter half of the first arc. Once this Badge is won, Gracie will only have a quarter left in the first arc… Hard to believe… It seems like only yesterday that I started this challenge…

But off to one of my favorite places, Saffron.

With one my favorite Gym Leaders, Sabrina.

Sabrina is one of my favorite Gym Leaders mainly because of the fact that she's simply fascinating. And that's because of how many different interpretations of her character there are, all of them valid. The first interpretation I saw was in the anime, where she was one of its first true villains. At the same time, she was also sympathetic, under the control of her too-strong psychic powers. Occasionally, she would show a softer side, but be unable to display it completely because of these psychic powers' control. And the psychic powers made her nearly destroy her hometown and hurt others, including her own family. It was a darker and deeper take on the Pokémon world, as well as a deconstruction of psychic powers itself, and the damage they could do. Not to mention that the voice actor did a good job of making Sabrina creepy... This is one of the first anime episodes I saw, so it remains one my favorites…

Then the games came around, where Sabrina was portrayed as stoic, but kind. It gets to the point where she helps the protagonists a few times, and also states that their love for the Pokémon is a type of psychic power. I thought that was interesting that there could be such different interpretations, and that the two personality traits could mesh. I also remember being confused, because I saw the anime before this, so I couldn't understand why Sabrina was not antagonistic. Not to mention she doesn't show her psychic powers nearly as much in the games…

And then there were _still other_ depictions of her, like one manga that completely made her evil for her own selfish reasons until very late. And yet another that made her kind from the start, but actually succumbing to revenge and nearly dying… I think that's why I became fascinated with the character so much because not only was she written in so many different ways, she was also written believably. It's definitely a step up from the type of writing Pokémon normally does…

So I may as well describe Gracie's first encounter here. Gracie enters Saffron, but notices something seems a bit off. Before long, she's attacked without warning, by seemingly normal citizens. Just when things look hopeless, Sabrina appears, using her own powers to save her. Gracie is shocked, remembering Sabrina from the descriptions, but unsure how to approach her. She wonders if Sabrina would be angry or attack. The Gym Leader simply says "Rebels…" in an annoyed tone. Gracie cocks her head, wondering what she means. She asks her if she is Sabrina, and Sabrina notices how reproachful she is. She simply gives a smile, and states she won't bite. Gracie weakly gives a smile back.

Gracie wonders if the rebels are part of Team Rocket, but Sabrina closes her eyes and says they are something much worse. The rebels are group of Trainers who take the guise of normal people. It's become hard to know who to trust, and the rebels don't take a name, for fear of being discovered easier. They also target young Trainers, usually between the ages of 10 and 17. A few older Trainers have been known to join the ranks, but most of them have not reached their 20s. Perhaps, it's because they are easier to influence. Sabrina explains that they are ruthless and covert, attacking both the League and the evil teams they fight against. She goes on to say that the rebels are rebelling against the entire system that makes up the way Trainers function, and hope to bring it down.

Gracie asks why they would do that, and Sabrina replies she doesn't know. She does explain that she can guess, since their leader, Silver, got into trouble with both the evil teams _and_ the League. Some people whispered that he also had difficulties with an older Trainer and those difficulties led him to his current path, but no one has stepped up to confirm or deny the rumors. Perhaps, they're afraid they will be targeted, or perhaps they feel guilty. Whatever the case, Sabrina wonders if that person will ever come forward.

Gracie continues to ask if the rebels realize that _they_ are part of the current training system, and that bringing it down will affect them too. Sabrina says they either don't realize it, or don't care. Judging by how angry they are, it's probably the latter. Gracie wonders if they have something else in place, and Sabrina replies, whatever it is, it can't be good. Gracie sighs, thinking whenever plan they have is stupid, then.

Gracie hears a voice behind her, saying "Indeed". Grace turns around, shocked to see Professor Pine. Professor Pine shouts, "Gracie, you had me worried!" Gracie replies. "Professor Pine, what are you doing here?" Professor Pine clenches her fist, saying "I'm here to stop the rebels, of course! No matter who they are, such monsters cannot be allowed to run free." Gracie notes that from Prof. Pine's severe expression, she probably has other motives, but doesn't dare ask.

Gracie wants to ask Sabrina more questions, but the psychic begins to speak. She says that the rebels seem to have attacked one of the major buildings in the city. She shakes her head, calling it despicable, because most people in the building are civilians. They are good as dead, and all their information can easily be gotten. If the rebels get that, then they will have a lot of power and put the city at a disadvantage. The building is one of Kanto's major manufacturers, containing everything on information to new products to Pokémon. Anyone that has that information will eventually be able to use those things.

Gracie shudders, wondering what that information will do in the wrong hands. Sabrina asks Gracie if she will help drive the rebels away, and Gracie asks if this will get rid of them. Professor Pine shakes her head, saying, unfortunately, the rebels have a lot of backup, but they can at least do some damage back. At most, it will keep the city safe. Gracie agrees, thinking it's a good idea.

And that's where the gameplay begins.

Also, welcome to one the most annoying dungeons in Pokémon. This dungeon is long, features many floors (11, I believe longer than almost all the dungeons since) and they can't all be traversed in order. This is because the dungeon also has doors, and the doors can only be opened by specific item found later on in it. Also worth noting that the main puzzle is teleporting, with each teleporter taking the player to a different area randomly. Unless the player remembers where exactly each teleporter leads, it can be very confusing. Not to mention the way to solve the puzzle is to walk straight into a teleporter when there is no other way, walk back, stand on top of the teleporter, and walk forward until the player finds an item. It's pretty difficult to figure out without a guide, and I remember I had to ask my cousin if she would buy me one because I got so confused on the puzzle. I felt like an idiot because the guide revealed it to be very simple… And this was in the days before sites that had free online guides existed, so it cost quite a bundle to get…

Anyway, on to the dungeon.

The Trainers are easy pickings, considering Gracie's more than twice their level… The long length of the dungeon means I will have to be careful about Power Points, however. Anyway, I start by going up the stairs, making my way through each area and taking out the Trainers along the way. I do have to go back for healing, but it's easy enough. Gracie tries to learn Dream Eater, her final move, but I don't allow her to. Dream Eater relies on the inaccurate Hypnosis, so Psychic is automatically better.

Gracie finishes clearing out the Trainers on the regular floors, and I head back down to the first one. Now, it's time to take on the teleporters.

Luckily, I find the infamous one quickly, grab the item needed to proceed, fight a Trainer with an Arbok, and head back down to the second floor. It is now the time to open all the doors, then clear this place.

There's a few more Trainers, and someone that teaches the Thunder Wave technique. Gracie can learn it, and Thunder Wave is pretty useful. However, right now Toxic covers my support move needs. Opening up the doors also leads to rest area, and it's conveniently near where the final battles are held. I'm not going there yet, though. Instead, I fight more Trainers, and run around getting a lot of items. Then, I heal up, and proceed to the end…

Which includes a rival fight.

Said fight is pathetic… Every Pokémon other than Growlithe is fully evolved, but with Gracie's diverse move set, they easily fall.

And before the final boss, there is one last stop.

It's to get a Pokémon, Lapras.

Lapras is a pretty powerful Water and Ice Type, one of the best in the game. This is the only place to get one, and the event can easily be missed… I won't be using in this run, obviously, but it's pretty good at using HMs. So I take it into the party anyway.

And then it's time to fight _the man._

Giovanni.

This is the last battle with Giovanni before his Gym in Viridian, and he hasn't really changed much.

His Pokémon have undergone some evolutions, but they are easily taken out in one hit, and cannot attack.

So I get the Master Ball. Not too useful in this run, but it will be in others.

Of course, the battle and story goes much differently.

Gracie and the others are being worn down by the rebels' constant attacks and the maze of the building. They rest when they can, but it is clear everyone is haggard. To make matters worse, Nia is found, terrified and injured when she tried to stop the rebels. The others take her with them, seeing no safe place.

They begin fighting the rebels' strongest Trainers on the top floor, but the group has trouble. Just when Gracie thinks that they won't make it, they hear someone shouting a Pokémon command. That Pokémon command sends a massive Psychic wave, and it knocks all of the rebels back, destroying their Pokémon. Gracie hears the sound of a little girl, saying "Hurt those people again, and I won't leave you alive!" Gracie is shocked to realize the there was a little girl standing there, and she has a giant Pokémon with her. Gracie shudders as she realizes what this Pokémon is. There were many stories told about it in her homeland, but this was the first time she'd seen it.

Mewtwo.

Gracie sees Nia taking a step back, and suddenly looking like she's going be sick. Gracie wonders why, thinking that she never asked Nia about her past. The rebels look just as surprised, and one of them snarls. "You… I know you are! Why are you here?" The little girl coldly responds. "I should say the same to you! You're just a bunch of misfits who couldn't accept being told "no". You don't belong here!" The girl telepathically howls. "Mewtwo, Psychic again!" The Pokémon lets out an enraged cry, before shooting another attack. The other person responds, "Dark types, to the front!" A bunch of Dark types run up to defend against Mewtwo's attack, but its Trainer seems prepared.

She cries that she has lots more where this comes from, and throws out three Poke Balls. Gracie's eyes widen as she realizes the new Pokémon are the evolutions of the Kanto starters. Each has a bit of jewelry on them, something that Gracie recognizes from her time in Lavender. She thinks that the girl must have a ring somewhere, and sees something glittering. Gracie remembers how powerful and rare Mega Evolution is, and thinks about just how strong this girl is. The girl wonders of the group wants to fight against all of them, but many are already fearfully backing away. The group leader orders the underlings to retreat, and slips into the shadows with a Spiritomb. The girl does a lot of damage to the underlings, but is unable attack the assailant. Planned choices for the assailant include either Crystal or Leaf, but it is unknown who it will be and where it takes place in the story.

Anyway, Gracie is starting to fade, and the young girl insists that she carry her. Gracie has no choice but to oblige. She later wakes up, the girl looking at her and relieved that she's all right. Gracie asked the girl who she is, but the girl replies her name is Amber, and her companion is Meredith. Gracie wonders how the girl could be so powerful, and have a Pokémon as strong as Mewtwo. Amber replies that Mewtwo has known her since she was born, and once she mastered Mewtwo's power, it didn't take her long to master others. Gracie suddenly detects something like a magical power coming from the girl, becoming afraid and confused. She notes that she didn't see it in the chaos of the battle before, and wonders what it is. Gracie decides to ask why Amber was fighting the rebels. Amber replies that she is a traveling Trainer, but Team Rocket and the rebels both tried to do horrible things to her family. So she fights against them whenever she gets the chance.

Gracie wonders what she means by family, and Amber responds that she is the daughter of Dr. Fuji. Gracie thinks that he is the old man in Lavender, but Amber replies that _that man_ is her grandfather. She loves him very much, and hopes he is doing okay. Amber says that when Gracie finishes up in this town, she should visit her in her home in Cinnabar. Amber has heard about her from the others, and thinks they would love having a strong and brave Pokémon like Gracie around. Gracie is a bit reluctant, but complies, realizing she doesn't have many other options.

Eventually, Sabrina walks in, and Amber leaves. She is relieved that Gracie is all right, and Gracie asks her who that was. She also describes the power she felt, and how she felt a bit uncomfortable. Sabrina explained that that was Amber, a young but powerful supernatural ability user. The power that Amber was radiating was that of someone called a Vessel. Vessels are bonded to legendary Pokémon, able to use their powers in exchange for protecting them. Amber in particular is bonded to Mewtwo, having been with the Pokémon since she was a child. Sabrina also reveals that she herself is a powerful Vessel, but she usually doesn't fight unless she has to. So, unlike Amber, she doesn't use her powers much.

Gracie is still having a hard time digesting the fact that someone so young could be so powerful, and decides to visit Nia as she is still in the hospital. She tries to ask Nia about why she seems so terrified of Mewtwo, but Nia refuses to tell her anything. Gracie decides not to press the subject, but sees Nia thrashing around. She hears her call out the name Anne, and wonders what it could mean. She asked Sabrina, but the psychic has no idea, instead stating that Nia keeps her secrets. Gracie is relieved that the others are all right, however, and soon says her farewell to Professor Pine.

Gracie realizes that Sabrina is really a kind person, giving it her all to save the people of the city. Sabrina responsd she has to as a Gym Leader, and Gracie thinks of course. She notices Sabrina has turned part of the Gym into a school for psychics and other supernatural power users. Gracie wonders if she can sign up, but Sabrina already states that she is plenty powerful. Sabrina thinks that they could pair her with a student, and she could help out. Amber runs up eagerly, wanting to help out as well. Sabrina smiles, accepting the help. However, she says that the two ought to do some training at the Dojo. She says they used to be an old Gym in the town, and they still help train trainers by holding heated battles. Their fighting style's a bit eccentric, but Gracie will surely find it useful.

And that's where I head next. This optional area can actually be done before taking on Silph, but I choose to do it now only because most of the city is blocked off until Silph is cleared. Luckily, all the Trainers have Fighting Pokémon, so they go down easily. I can also grab a gift Pokémon here, but I don't really need to, and the game doesn't force me.

As for the Fighting Dojo, I'm reminded of how and some of the other games, they combine regular martial arts with dance moves. In the games, they're not successful, but in this story, they are. Perhaps they end up teaching some of those moves to Gracie, and she keeps in contact them remotely. And of course Amber would help out too. Although the sight of Mewtwo dancing is rather strange…

Regardless, it's time for the final area. Saffron Gym.

Saffron Gym is a bit annoying, but not as much as Silph. It has teleporters that are in all four directions, but with enough guessing, they can be figured out. It's also worth knowing that some of the Trainers have Ghost type Pokémon, but it is unknown why. Either way, the Trainers are easy, because it's nothing simple type advantages can't take care of.

Next up is Sabrina.

Turns out, she's easy too. Her Pokémon are weak to Thief, and her only Poison type is weak to Psychic. So Gracie time in Saffron is now over. Other than a bit of story…

Gracie has an easy time helping to train the students and occasionally repelling rebellious Pokémon. Sabrina smiles, pleased at her progress. Gracie notices an area in back with massive psychic power. She tries to go near it, but Sabrina stops her. She says that that's the area for dangerous psychics and other supernatural power users. No matter how strong Gracie is, she's not trained to take them on. Gracie wonders if this is some sort of jail, but Sabrina replies that the reason the people are there is that she's trying to help them as best she can. Gracie further decides that Sabrina is not worthy of her reputation, if she's doing all she can to help people that have to otherwise be separated from society.

Sabrina says that Gracie is good with people, and Gracie is surprised Sabrina noticed. She states that it was easy to tell with the interaction with the students, and that she is also a trained psychologist. Sabrina then asks Gracie if she has also considered working in the field of psychology and becoming a service Pokémon. Gracie is confused, wondering why someone would need her to open doors and guide the blind. Sabrina smiles, saying it's not quite like that. There are people with emotional and mental disabilities too, and Gracie, as a powerful Psychic Pokémon can help them.

Psychic Pokémon can use their power of influencing minds to help those with emotional problems. It's become a massive advancement in the field of medicine, and helping many people live quality lives. Gracie responds "Influencing people's minds… So I'd be training someone to think differently?" Sabrina nods. "In essence, yes, if possible. Otherwise, you'd be helping people with confused thoughts, thoughts that aren't healthy, emotional problems, thoughts that don't quite connect, redirecting those that are distracted, controlling impulses, or even just mentally stimulating those that need it. It's a large job, but one that I think you would be good at." Gracie grins, replying "So I'd basically be Training a Trainer." Sabrina responds with a smile. "Not quite like that, but close enough."

Gracie's dialogue with Sabrina is foreshadowing for something that happens in Usurping. The whole idea of Pokémon helping with emotional issues is based off of Emotional Support Animals, and to a lesser extent, some types of service animals. However, in the case of many ESAs, they don't have the same rights as a regular service animal, and it can be difficult to prove that they are doing their duty for their owners. In the Pokémon world, there's no problem with proving a Psychic Pokémon is helping someone, so they enjoy the same rights as other service Pokémon. It worth knowing that a lot of disabilities affect someone's mental state (including simpler ones, like memory or concentration issues), and with Psychic Pokémon to aid with what's happening, these service Pokémon are pretty common.

Sabrina being a psychologist and owning what is the supernatural equivalent to a psychiatric ward is due to the fact that in most media, she has a lot of emotional issues. While she doesn't have those issues here, it would make sense that she would want to help out those that are also struggling, or at least try to keep as many people safe as she can.

And that's it for Saffron!

As I reach the final leg of the game, it's onto Cinnabar, an annoying side quest, and last Badge before the League.


	10. Islanders

**Back with another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **10: Islanders**

 **Day 9 (February 17, 2018): Kanto**

On to another update on Diary, as I begin the last quarter of the first arc!

But first, a few story updates. One of which qualifies as an addendum. I may decide to do the postgame in Ultra Moon, as the Alola games are fairly short otherwise. Not to mention I have heard the postgame was done fairly well, and I'm dissatisfied with the final fight of Ultra Moon in the regular games. If I get the right conditions, I can trigger the final fight of the original game instead, and have that be one of the last. _That fight_ was excellent, and I'd prefer that over what Ultra Moon does. I may also do the Steven fight in Emerald, preferring that over the Champion there. I'm not sure about that, however, because it's rather out-of-the-way, and in postgame to Emerald is not that useful otherwise.

Also, the story takes place later on in Mold Breaker than it did originally. Amber was originally not supposed to appear until later, in Cinnabar, but I decided to foreshadow her appearance in Saffron. Worth noting that Amber is also important to events in Mold Breaker, but these events take place later in that story. With Amber being more important earlier, it's more likely that the events have taken place already.

This also changes Phoebe's dynamic a bit. In the original version of the story, she does not know the Mold Breaker early on in Diary. In the newer version, they meet much earlier, meaning that Phoebe has begun to start to know her personally, and knows that she is a real Trainer. She could vouch for this in the original scene, where she does the opposite before. The reason for this is that Phoebe is an important character, knowing the Mold Breaker personally by the time Usurping begins. It's impossible to do this without rushing a lot of things if they only meet midway into Diary. Phoebe's importance is also based on the original version of the Traveler series. She was one of the few people who understood all characters, including the rebellious and eccentric original version of Usurping's protagonist. Phoebe was so important that she actually was the main point of view during the protagonist's adventures through Hoenn, rather than the protagonist herself. I'd like to keep some of the importance around.

Now then, on to Cinnabar.

But first, a little more story.

Amber is eager to show Gracie her home, and they began to head to Cinnabar. Gracie sees that Cinnabar's through a waterway, and flinches. Amber asks what's wrong, and Gracie replies that she gets seasick, but she has medication. Amber simply says, take the medication, and let's go. She hears voices asking where she's going off to, and to be safe in the water. She turns around, realizing the voices belong to Lorelei and Miranda. Lorelei and Miranda greet Gracie, and Amber introduces herself. She explains that she is taking Gracie to see Cinnabar, and Gracie looks uneasy. Miranda says to remember what she gave her, and she will be fine. Lorelei asks if Gracie wants to go in a Poké Ball again, and she refuses.

Instead, she remembers what Lorelei said about Poké Balls breaking in the Pokémon inside being left to fend for themselves in hopes that they will be able to fend off whatever broke the capsule. Gracie looks at the water again, and realizes that although she can swim, she's not particularly strong. If a Trainer were to break a ball in the water, and there wasn't land nearby, she probably drown. She asks Lorelei and Miranda if they can teach her how to swim better, and Miranda wonders if she's doing it to get over her seasickness. Gracie says no, and explains her motive. Lorelei and Miranda think that's a good idea, and Amber says she'll help out too. Lorelei tells Gracie to meet her at the island in the center, known as Seafoam. It's a place where she likes train, and has lots of different water for Gracie to try out. Gracie agrees, and the two begin traveling.

So, Seafoam Islands will not be visited properly in this run, since the only thing it really has is Articuno. However, I wanted to give it some relevance, because it is relevant to Lorelei. In the original games, this is where Lorelei trained, and she is implied to have some connection to Articuno. This connection is supported by the Stadium games, where she uses it. The anime changed that to the Orange Islands, and then the remakes changed that _again_ to Sevii. So it's unclear where Lorelei actually does her training. I like to think she switches around to train at all three when the need arises.

Anyway, time to get going.

The set of routes leading to Cinnabar is the first in a long tradition of Pokémon games having waterways. Generally, there's a lot of Water Pokémon and Trainers with them, but they aren't particularly tough. I have to make sure to keep an eye on Power Points, however, because healing is sparse there.

There's also another issue; getting lost.

I could've sworn there was a way west of Seafoam to Cinnabar. However, I am unable to find it, and I am trapped on the islands.

Luckily, there's another way through.

South of Pallet.

Quickly, I fly there and begin the journey from that direction. In the story, I will go west from Seafoam to land at Cinnabar. I am also passing Cinnabar in order to fight all the Trainers on the water routes.

After having to heal and nearly running out of Power Points, I finally make it to Cinnabar. There's not much here. There's a place to revive fossils, as well as the mysterious Mansion. One must clear the mansion in order to get to the Cinnabar Gym. Storyline wise, Amber says her parents lived there, but they're often working in the lowest part, so Gracie has to go there herself. Gracie wonders why they wouldn't come up to say hello to their own child, and wonders if they're just workaholics. Nevertheless, she supposes she will find out, and enters the mansion.

The Cinnabar Mansion has one of the most bizarre puzzles in the games. It requires opening and closing doors using switches on statues, then falling through floors at strategic moments… However, it can be difficult to remember which floor one must fall through, and if the player messes up, they have to do it all over again… It's also noting that the mansion has some of the best music in the games, and some of the darker back story…

But I regress. It's time to explore.

Luckily, I find the Secret Key pretty easily by jumping off the right platform by chance… I do head back and the mansion, though, mainly because I want to fight some extra battles and find all the items I can. After that, it's time to head to the Gym.

But first, some story.

Amber makes it to the end of the mansion, introducing Gracie to her parents. Gracie notices she sees things in tubes, and can't help feeling a bit weirded out. Amber's parents seemed delighted to see Gracie, and Gracie asks what the things in the tubes are. Amber replies that they are clones. Gracie is shocked, saying that she thought cloning failed, or at least hardly any survived.

Dr. Fuji shakes his head, saying that that was what they wanted the public to believe. He states that Amber, the Kanto starters, and her Mewtwo, Meredith are all clones. They were conceived in this lab, and brought up together. Through the process of rapid aging, they also were able to make them the same age as the originals that were made after. Amber states that there used to be another one of her, but that original died. Her parents wanted his daughter back, so her father relentlessly researched cloning in hopes of bringing her back. He succeeded, and the result is what Gracie sees.

Gracie asked why he gave Amber such powerful Pokémon, and Amber replies that the three starters are normal Pokémon given to Trainers, and Amber was originally supposed to choose. But she wanted all of them, and her father let her so he could do more research on how the clones behaved. Gracie wonders why Mewtwo of all Pokémon, and Amber's face falls. She responds that Team Rocket originally tried to pressure her father into making Mewtwo. Her father refused to work for Team Rocket, even though he wanted the powerful Pokémon for his daughter. Team Rocket tried to attack him, but he was saved by a higher-up from the League. The higher-up agreed to fund his research, provided he used it for good. So, he did, and now they're here.

Gracie thinks that's awful, and Amber replies Team Rocket and the rebels also hurt her sister, so she can never forgive them. Gracie cocks her head, wondering who and where Amber's sister is. Amber leads Gracie to the back of the labs, where there is something else in the tube. Gracie sees something glowing, and suddenly begins to feel sick when she realizes it's a human. Amber proudly says this is her sister, then corrects herself, saying it's not really her sister, but they were both conceived here.

Gracie looks back, wondering why anyone would do this. And Dr. Fuji replies, stating that Amber met a Trainer with a unique bond with Pokémon. Furthermore, the Trainer had the ability to communicate perfectly with all of the clones, and doing so gave the other a strange power. Dr. Fuji wondered if all that could be replicated elsewhere. The general consensus was no, as many believed the power was only because of some weaknesses that Trainer had. But Dr. Fuji thought otherwise, believing that power could be spread to other bodies. And if this clone survives and thrives, that's possible that there could be an entire world of Trainers with the power this one had. A new means of bonding with Pokémon. And a new means of transforming the world.

Gracie wondered if he asked the original's permission, and Dr. Fuji replies he did. Dr. Fuji replies that the Trainer was a little hesitant, but said Trainer decided to do it because of the possibility of others having the power. There was also the matter of the family that Trainer had left back home, and if anything happened, the clone was to take the original's place, using the rapid aging mechanism. At least, her family would recover from their grief, or so the Trainer believed. And even if her journey wouldn't exactly be the same, at least it could continue. Dr. Fuji is not sure if they will use the rapid aging mechanism if both survive, however. He urges Gracie to talk to the clone, saying that even on the clones are still developing, they can have telepathic conversations, and even go to places in their minds. Gracie is a bit hesitant, but does so. She enters a telepathic world, face-to-face with the clone. Gracie isn't sure what to say, so she simply says hello and her name.

The clone at first does not respond, and Gracie wonders if Dr. Fuji was incorrect. All the sudden, the clone opens its eyes, and Gracie sees they are an intense dark blue. She suddenly almost knocked back by a powerful psychic sensation, a mental power unlike any she's ever seen. She suddenly recognizes it from somewhere else, and shakes her head. She thinks, "It can't be, it just can't be…" At that point, the telepathic conversation fades, and Dr. Fuji finds it odd. Gracie wonders if it's because the clone didn't talk, but Dr. Fuji responds because the clone, according to the brain waves, seemed to recognize Gracie. Gracie's eyes go wide, wondering how that's possible. Dr. Fuji replies that sometimes clones can come with memories, including things their original might've seen. His daughter Amber has those, but it doesn't seem to bother her. Gracie's still go wide, and she shakes her head, thinking that she can't jump to conclusions. Unknown to her, the clone she's seeing is the protagonist of Mold Breaker and Usurping, set to play a role in the latter series. She might be in the former book, but I'm not sure.

Gracie wonders why they let the world believe they have failed, if it is such a breakthrough could enhance the world. Dr. Fuji responds that the keyword is _could._ Right now, he isn't ready to reveal cloning to the world, nor is it at that stage. Furthermore, he wants to protect Amber and the other clones from the publicity they will inevitably receive. The final is actually Amber's own wishes. Amber wishes to be treated like the original was, instead of a clone of her. To that end, she is asked her identity as a clone to not be revealed to the public, so that people can treat her as the original was. People simply believe that Dr. Fuji had another daughter, and that daughter survived. There was some time between the original's death and Amber's creation, so it's enough to be believed. And while cloning isn't particularly well known, rapid aging is, so someone being rapidly aged up is not that far-fetched.

Gracie isn't sure what she thinks about the whole thing, and is about to speak again when all the sudden there's fire burning outside. Gracie asks what's going on, and Dr. Fuji narrows his eyes, knowing its team marketing in. They've become brazen since the resurgence, and they're going to attack the lab. Amber asks Gracie to help fight them off, and Gracie agrees.

It's worth noting that Dr. Fuji's explanation of cloning comes from something earlier on in the Traveler series. Originally, Amber and Dr. Fuji were not supposed to appear at all. The lore would follow the canon paths where he failed, and that would be it. However, as I was continuing to write some of the lore later on, I realized that having Dr. Fuji succeeding and Amber alive would be pretty interesting. However, I had already written companion stories that stated he had failed. So I decided that merging the two would make sense, and also not disrupt previous entries in the series.

Anyway, on to the Gym, gameplay wise.

The gym is just a bunch of riddles, which the player has to answer correctly to proceed. The player can also fight Trainers instead of answering. If they answer incorrectly, they _must_ fight the Trainer. I'm going to fight all the Trainers for experience, so in I go. The Trainers are pretty easy, considering Gracie's high level. With that, I make my way to Blaine.

And he's a pushover, all of his Pokémon falling to Psychic.

I'm neutral about Blaine, and it's implied he is one of the ones that helped create Mewtwo. I decided not to include that in this story, mainly because of I've already got that backstory with Dr. Fuji. Blaine was saved by Moltres, however, and that remains here. I do have to say his personality of speaking in riddles in the anime is a bit annoying, but there's no denying that he's a powerful Leader.

Off to something else annoying.

The Sevii Islands.

The Sevii Islands was an area added to the remakes. What makes them annoying is how they were implemented.

For starters, there's also _where_ they're implemented. They come right before the final Badge, which should otherwise be very simple (and there's no warning before then). They also cannot be skipped to proceed. On top that, the player cannot use the PC, meaning that all changes to Pokémon and items must be done on the mainland. It added a few things that don't make sense (why would Celio need to be here if there was already Bill, for example), and the islands themselves are fairly empty (no Gyms or any sort of challenge, really). To make matters worse, the player can't even access them all until the postgame. And in the postgame, the game forces the player to go to them before they're able to do anything else. This includes rematches, or even trading Pokémon from other games.

Not to mention, there could have been another way to implement the islands.

The Orange League was traveled to in Kanto and Johto in anime, and it was a group of islands in between there. It had plenty of challenges, including its own Gyms. Furthermore, it also has its own professor, and the appearance of Lorelei (something that she does in the Sevii Islands later).

It would have been the perfect thing to implement, even incomplete. But, alas, that is not the case.

This story is a bit different.

I noted the similarities between the Orange Islands and Sevii, and decided to merge the two. Professor Ivy and her assistants moved to the new area, as do the Gym Leaders of the Orange League. There might be new Gym Leaders and challenges added, but I'm not sure. Another region in Unova made of islands is also merged with the new place.

I'm not sure how this will be written in Gracie's story, but I do know the islands will be visited in full some of the others. For now, Miranda and Lorelei invite Gracie to visit the islands, thinking that she will get some training done there. Gracie's vision tells her she has to go there for some reason, and Amber also agrees to go. Miranda sees the look on Grace's face, and thinks she has seen the clones. Gracie confirms it, and asks Miranda and Lorelei if they are the high-ranking League officials that financed the research. Miranda shakes her head, saying that would be the current Champion, because she is hoping the cloning will change the world in a good way. It's worth noting that the current Champion is not Scarlet, like it is in the RP, because Scarlet doesn't take the championship until near the end of Mold Breaker. Unless she is born earlier, but I doubt this will happen. The protagonist of Mold Breaker needs time to meet and beat the current Champion before Scarlet takes the title for story reasons.

Anyway, off we go.

The north of the first island doesn't hold much, but the east is what I'm really after. It has some extra items and the HM move Rock Smash. I will need it for the end, so immediately teach it to the party. Other than being long, there's nothing spectacular. There's some hot springs to rest in though. I have a feeling Gracie would like the hot springs.

Also worth noting that Moltres can be captured here. In the original games, it was at the very final dungeon. Kind of nice that it got moved up, but not that important for this run. Maybe Gracie sees Moltres and it tells her something. I'm not sure what, though. Gracie has to go to the mountain for to train, and Team Rocket is already there for when they make their big appearance in the postgame. So maybe someone else is there, or Moltres is trying to warn her of what's going to happen later on… Or maybe it's trying to tell her about the protagonist of Usurping, who has her association with fire.

Either way, the first island is complete, and I head to the next one.

There's just a bit of in game story, as I trigger a cut scene that involves finding a lost child, and a biker nearly trashing a Game Corner while looking for the next island… There is also a move tutor here that will teach the most powerful moves of the Grass, Fire, and Water types to any of the starter Pokémon, provided they have evolved into their final forms. Unfortunately, the games aren't very good at telling the player these requirements… They got better in the later ones…

I'm not sure if the cut scene on the island will appear at all, or something else will take its place. Also worth noting that Gracie senses the woman on the island has some sort of magical power, but not much else. There is a tutor back in the mountain where Moltres is that can teach Explosion. Gracie can't learn it, and knowing the requirements of this run, I wouldn't want her to.

On to the third island.

And it looks like a bunch of bikers are terrorizing the populace…

Time to go beat them up… There's four battles without stopping, but they're not very tough…

Anyway, time to go to the north.

There are some Trainers here, but they're not very strong. It's worth noting Pidgey has gotten a lot of experience from double battles, and evolves. Still not using it, though.

Anyway, have to go into the Berry Forest to rescue the little girl. It's not too hard to navigate, but all the grass and trees can make it annoying…

I easily find the little girl, and finding her leads to a battle with a Hypno. This Pokémon can either be captured or defeated. Being in a solo run, I choose to defeat it. On a side note, I always thought the scene was rather creepy… Considering that Hypno likes to hypnotize children and lead them away, I can only imagine what it was going to do to the little girl. Anyway, everything is all set and I can leave the islands.

And that will be it for now. I am approaching the endgame of the first arc, but it can be rather long. Therefore, I will give it its own entry, along with my thoughts on the game as a whole.


	11. Walking the Earth

**Welcome back to another entry in Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **11\. Walking the Earth**

 **Day 10 (February 16, 2018): Kanto**

Well, this is it. One way or another, this _will_ be the end of the first arc.

Gracie's journey in Kanto ends today.

So let's not waste any time.

Right now I'm back in Cinnabar, and I need to stock up. I quickly grab some healing items, but also some Max Repels. The final dungeon is a giant cave, and I don't want my progress slowed. It also worth knowing that Cinnabar is the last checkpoint in the game before the final dungeon ends. Technically, Viridian has its own, but it still sells the items from when the player started the game.

Speaking of Viridian, it's time to fly there now.

I will probably go through the Gym at normal speed, mainly because it still has the spinning panels from before in Celadon. Probably add something about Gracie realizing how far she's come, when she can get through the spinning panels easily.

But off to the gameplay.

Luckily, the puzzle is simple enough that I can get through it while the game is sped up. The Trainers have mostly Ground types, with oddly enough, the occasional Fighting Type. I have to head outside to heal Power Points. But other than that, the Gym is easy.

Now to face the final Gym Leader himself.

Giovanni.

And excuse me as I go on a tangent about how Giovanni is one of my favorite of the villains.

While it's mostly common knowledge now, back when the games first came out, there were _no_ hints that Giovanni himself was the final leader. His name and face were obscured, and no one ever mentioned his name as the Gym Leader of Viridian. It was a brilliant plot twist for its time, and to this day, still remains fondly remembered.

It also says a lot about Giovanni's character. The fact that he can do all the evil acts he does, and at the end of the day, he _still_ blends into regular society, with _no one_ knowing who he really is. It is brilliant, and yet terrifying at the same time. And even _after_ the player beats him here, he simply escapes. In the originals, it's implied he's decided to become a better person, realizing that the player's strength comes through honesty. In the remakes, that was changed, and he still wants world domination. It's really interesting, because both are sensible interpretations of his character. Not to mention that though he's evil, it's not thrust into the player's face like with later villains.

Both interpretations were also used in later games. In Pokémon Black and White 2, he is seen competing as an honest Trainer in the Pokémon World Tournament, and no one objects him being there. He also sees the player is a worthy opponent, and hopes that will battle again. In the remakes of the Johto games, he hopes his son will understand the reason for abandoning him, and feels frustrated that he didn't bring out his team's full potential.

The postgame of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon take the _other,_ less sympathetic, interpretation.

Giovanni is still bent on world domination.

And he succeeds.

And it's terrifying.

That's not even getting into all the other media interpretations (completely evil in the anime, starts out evil but much more sympathetic in the Pokémon Special manga). It's worth noting that the Traveler universe takes the malevolent interpretation, but someone else is a bit more sympathetic in his place…

Overall, Giovanni stands out because in the time where games were fairly simple, he was a complex character, and still remains that way. All the different sensible interpretations he has just proves that.

By the way, I have no idea how I'm going to write Giovanni's fight. In the world of Traveler, his Gym position has already been taken up by Blue and, later, his son. So this fight would never take place or be very different. Unfortunately, the closest equivalent to either of the Leaders in the series is Blue's fight in the games… And that fight is not done until the very end of the second half of the Johto games. It's confirmed I won't be doing that… I may do his fight in the Alola games, but once again, it's optional and at the very end of the postgame…

So I have to figure out what to do about that.

Anyway, on to Giovanni himself.

He calls himself the greatest Trainer, but he isn't really that tough. There's plenty of Types to defeat him by now, and most of his Pokémon are weak to Special moves. Gracie just takes them all down with Psychic… Now the _guy that replaces him_ on the other hand… He is quite strong, but unfortunately this run will not be seeing him (at least as a Gym Leader).

And it's off to Route 22.

And a Rival fight. Not sure how I would write this, either… Perhaps one final test from Nia… Anyway, his Pokémon go down the same way they always do, and I'm finally cleared to enter the League.

But once again, I don't know how to write that either…

Gracie really has no reason to go to League, and two of the Elite Four members in the regular games are no longer holding that title in the Traveler series. Furthermore, the Champion is completely different, along with the fight…

But I will figure _something_ out…

Anyway, off to pass through the Badge Gates. Kanto is one of two regions where the player gets their Badges checked one by one to go through the gates (the other place that does this is Unova). At the time, it was tedious, but now it's not all that bad…

And into Victory Road I head.

Victory Road, as usual, is the final test in the main game. It is also quite a maze, with puzzles, Trainers, and many pathways. The puzzles in Kanto's Victory Road involve using Strength to push boulders on to switches. The switches open pathways that allow the player to proceed. Depending on how much difficulty I have, I may play at normal speed.

But we will see.

I eventually opt to play a normal speed for only the Strength puzzles, and speed up through everything else. I also save every time I figure out a Strength puzzle, in case I get stuck.

Also, this and the place afterward are the areas where I start unabashedly using Power Point restore items. The main reason is that there is a lack of healing places, and the Trainers here are too strong for me to afford to use Struggle. They're not all that tough otherwise.

Also, the final move tutor in the main game is right at the end. He teaches Double Edge. Gracie can learn it, and it's a very good move, but it goes off of her weaker stat (Attack) so I won't be using it.

Anyway, I'm done with Victory Road.

Which means that it's now time for the final test.

The Elite Four.

I made all my preparations before, so the only thing I really have left to do is deposit the Pokémon that helped me throughout the overworld, and go for broke. I do have at least one or two Power Point restoration items, but I can only restore one move at a time. I do have more than enough healing items to see me through to the end, however.

As for the Elite Four itself, I don't have much about them yet.

I _do_ know that Lorelei will probably give Gracie a test, just to see that she's strong enough to keep going. In terms of Agatha, Gracie will see a bunch of restless ghosts, and wonder what to do. Phoebe will appear, saying that she can calm them down, but she needs Gracie's help to weaken them. Gracie nods, realizing Phoebe still has the ability to make her Mega Evolve. She asks Phoebe to do so, and she complies. Gracie Mega Evovles and easily defeats the ghosts with a Psychic. This is to reference how all of Agatha's Pokémon are weak to Psychic, even though her specialty isGghost.

I've also heard that there's a problem with the game freezing if the player has a non-Kanto Pokémon registered in the Hall of Fame before they beat the game. This is because it's not supposed to be possible to have that scenario, and the game doesn't know what to do. However, I have also heard that the scenario only happens if the National Dex is given at the start (since the game doesn't register that the player already has the National Dex, and still wants them to complete the side quest to obtain it; as a result, it gives it to the player twice). This is why I did not start with the National Dex, but since the glitch occurs at the end of the game, it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, onto the Elite Four.

Lorelei starts off first. Her Pokémon are all weak to Shock Wave, but they're also very high leveled (low 50s when Gracie is in her low 80s). So they can take more than one from Shock Wave. In conjunction with that, Lorelei heals her Pokémon if they get weakened, allowing her to get more hits. She first uses Hail, then Lapras gets in a hit from Ice Beam. It does significant damage, but not enough to weaken Gracie.

Slowbro, however, is more difficult. It takes a hit from Shock Wave, using Amnesia to boost its resistance to Special attacks. This, and healing, allow it to survive even more hits. It fights back with a Surf, and this time, Gracie is injured. I believe I'm nearing the end of the match, however, so I just decide to finish it.

Except I forgot about one Pokémon.

Jynx.

Jynx is a powerful Pokémon, but has very weak defenses. It focuses on status moves, and is Lorelei's only Pokémon that is not weak to Shock Wave. It puts Gracie to sleep. Then, when I heal, it uses Ice Punch to damage Gracie. Luckily, it doesn't do much, and I beat it back with Thief (the move it actually is weak to).

To put things in perspective, Gracie entered the battle at 227 HP (her maximum).

At the end, healing nothing other than status problems, she was at 82.

A fine test, if nothing else.

Thankfully, the next battle should be easier.

Because it's against Bruno, the Fighting Pokémon master.

Bruno is a bit of an oddball, because he uses Onix in addition to Fighting types. Unlike other Gym Leaders and Elite Four members with diverse teams, he really has no reason to do this… But somehow, he is associated with Onix, to the point where there is an entire episode of the anime dedicated to him catching one… I found Bruno a little weird, seeing as his portrayal flip-flops. He shown to be very strong in one medium (mainly the anime), and very weak in others (the games, due to being vulnerable to one of the strongest types, and the Pokémon Special manga, when he easily falls under mind control). Also, he doesn't seem to have as much personality as many of the other Elite Four members or Gym Leaders. Bruno is calm, collected, physically strong, and a graceful loser, but these traits can easily be seen in others…

Anyway, on to the fight with him…

Which is pretty easy, considering all of his Pokémon fall to Psychic without landing a single hit…

But I have to save some Power Points.

Agatha is up next.

As for Agatha, I never liked her character. I'm usually a fan of Ghost Type users. But not her. She starts out to be in the game being rather creepy and rude. I mean, why would she badmouth Professor Oak right in front of the person that got chosen by him, and then badmouth the player on top of it? It gets even worse once it's made clear that the person that beat the Elite Four before the player _was Oak's grandson._ Which is always very odd, because I thought that someone who is older and in a position of power would be kinder with people. Certainly, an image of someone who gets angry easily, is rude, and creepy wouldn't be something the League wants to project…

This might have been why, in the original story, the protagonist of Usurping and Agatha did not like each other. To the point Agatha gets injured, and the protagonist does not even care. She is also one of the few characters that the protagonist _still_ does not like, and is mutually disliked (to the point where when Agatha makes snide comments to her, she responds by making snide comments _right back)_. However, the protagonist of Usurping has enough sense to realize that Agatha is worth saving when she is in trouble.

This is mainly because she realizes losing Agatha will be a massive blow to the League and the Pokémon training world at large. She also realizes that having one of the world's most powerful Ghost Type users in her debt is useful. She wonders if Agatha has the power of resurrection, but Agatha says she doesn't. The protagonist then asks about Giratina and the truth of her visions. Agatha doesn't say much, but simply says that she continues to nurture the bond, something good will happen. Usurping's protagonist can also see Agatha is visibly distressed, and wonders why. The protagonist of Usurping then holds a grudging respect for Agatha afterward, but she still says she is not one of her favorite people. She can understand why she competed with Oak, however, because they're both strong and passionate about what they like to do. She says she can think of a no more worthy rival for Oak himself.

This is also why Phoebe was selected to be the person who helps out the protagonist, and helps to train her in the ways the possession rather than Agatha. The reason is that while Agatha makes more sense geographically, her personality doesn't mesh well. She probably wouldn't have the patience for the protagonist (especially with her frequent breakdowns), and on top of that, in the Traveler universe, she has retired. Training someone would probably be the _last_ thing on her mind. I also might change Phoebe from being a student of Agatha's to just training on her own (although she still takes up the title of Ghost type expert after Agatha retires), since the two personalities don't work well at all…

Also worth noting that in Holly Rising, Agatha's dead. She's mentioned as retiring, but later on it's revealed she passed away. This is because in Holly Rising's timeline, the Mold Breaker lets her anger overwhelm her logic. As a result, Agatha dies in combat, and Lorelei is heartbroken. The protagonist of Usurping may see a vision of this, but is almost too late at figuring out what it means. It's also worth noting that she's closer to Bertha, and here they are siblings. So she decides she doesn't want Bertha to lose her family, and realizes Agatha cares deeply for her sister. This may also play a factor into saving her, although it is unknown if this relationship exists in Holly Rising's timeline.

Also, I was not surprised when the Pokémon Special manga made Agatha a major villain. However, the anime toned her negative traits down considerably. That I'm also not surprised about, because she's fairly unsympathetic otherwise (as in, I could see Ash, not liking her either).

And with all this, there's a battle to fight.

Except it's not much.

As stated before, all of Agatha's Pokémon are weak to Psychic, so she goes down quickly.

And then I'm on to the final member, Lance.

He's one of my favorite characters, because while he is not afraid to be ruthless, unlike Agatha, he is kind. And even the ruthless parts often happen offscreen or to people who are actually villains (Team Rocket and Silver, even though the latter reforms after fighting Lance). Lance comes off as a little arrogant in this game, but it's toned down in the sequels. Not to mention he has more than enough power and knowledge to back up his claims... H

e is one that I was very surprised became a villain in Pokémon Special, because as harsh as he is, it seemed like something he would never do. The anime mainly kept his personality intact with the games, although he's a bit friendlier there. Probably because it's based off of his attitude in the sequels, where he is also a bit friendlier with the player. Not to mention he's a Dragon user, and Dragon is one of my favorite types…

The Traveler universe shows off his more ruthless side more often, but he also has to be because there's a lot more crime and darkness than in the original games. It's also worth noting that Trainers are constantly getting into trouble, and as someone who works in law enforcement (based on the anime, where he is shown to do this as a side job), he often has to bail them out… He and the protagonist of Mold Breaker do clash, but it's actually a case of mistaken identity on both sides, and they're both apologetic afterward. After that, they are allies, although she's not as close to him as she is in the original story. In the original story, the protagonist actually respected Lance, but almost no one else. By the time they meet in this story, they are even ground, so she has less to respect him for.

As far as Gracie goes, she would normally be of the Fairy type, a type made to combat dragons. However, since Fairy type did not exist until much later, she does not have it now. I'm just going to assume that its a dormant power within the line, and she hasn't awakened hers yet. It would also make sense in the gameplay, because Ralts doesn't learn Fairy type moves until pretty late… (at least, naturally). Gracie may develop a dislike for Dragons, because of their strength and how tough they are to take down, though.

Also worth noting that in X and Y, I will be transferring Gracie over so she can learn Dazzling Gleam. It's to make things a bit more consistent with her move set in the games, and also because she doesn't get an offensive Fairy type move until near the end (Moonblast). If she were found as a Gardevoir, she would start with Moonblast, along with a few other new supportive moves. However, since she has to be encountered as a Ralts in those games, she has the standard move set for that instead (with Confusion as the offensive move, among other things). I'm not sure if I will do this in the Alola games, because Ralts got an early, although weak, offensive Fairy type move there…

Anyway, on to Lance.

Who is taken down easily.

His team consists mainly of Flying Type Pokémon due to the lack of dragons up until the Johto remakes. Which means that a lot of them are weak to Shock Wave. The rest go down with Psychic. Interestingly, I expected more trouble with the fight, considering the difficulty is ramped up a bit in the Johto games. Hence why I had Gracie learn Toxic, so that she could slowly take down his dragons while they were helpless… Luckily, I didn't need it.

Before I move on to the final battle, I realized that I never talked about the first one: Brock. I'm a bit neutral on him, seeing as he doesn't show a lot of personality in the games. He shows more in the anime, however. I did like how he became a mentor to some of the other characters, although his constant infatuation with girls was annoying… And the fact that he became a doctor when his longtime calling was a breeder made no sense to me…

Anyway, now that I'm done with the first Gym Leader analysis, it's time to look at the last.

Blue.

The reveal of Blue (or rather, the player's Rival) was fairly shocking when the games were first released. Later on, when it became more common knowledge, the shock wore off. However, it still remembered as a good conclusion to the story, a fairly tough battle, memorable dialogue, and one of the best music tracks in the game. The Kanto games had been out for quite a while when I got them, so the reveal was spoiled for me. But it still remained a spectacular fight with very good music.

I may as well talk about Blue a character here, as well. Originally, I hated his character, mainly because of the fact that he seemed arrogant and annoying, as well as uncaring about others. This also seemed to be the intent of the writers, in order to make the final battle more meaningful. The negative traits were really played up in the anime, where Ash constantly hates his guts.

Then, as I delved into the character a bit more, my opinions changed. I realized that despite Blue's arrogance, he had more than enough power to back it up. And it's clear he also has a softer side (e.g. loves his family, willing to help others out of bad situations a couple times). Not to mention it's a lot more interesting to have a character that's powerful and knowledgeable from the start (simply because it isn't done a lot). And in terms of how he _does_ compare to Ash, Ash is shown lagging behind a lot, mainly because he doesn't have the knowledge or the power that bBue does. Red and Ash are shown to win out in the end, because they care about their Pokémon, but there's nothing to indicate that Blue _doesn't…_ Not to mention that the character development Blue _does_ receive is very believable…

This interpretation extends to the Traveler series as well… In both main timelines, Kris trains under Blue. In Holly Rising's, her relationship is rather bad because he tries to force her to push through her panic attacks, and she has them while she's training with him. This causes her to fear him, and not open up when she's in trouble. Said fear also extends to his son, Azure. In Usurping, the relationship is better, as Blue's character is expanded upon. It's also worth noting that pushing through the panic can be a tactic against panic attacks, and Blue's one the first to realize that she has these attacks. I'm not sure what she would panic about, but I'm thinking it would either be using the way to the League as a training ground (simply because of the amount of accidents that could happen to her, and physical exertion), or Pokémon exhaustion. If the latter is the case, Cheyenne's death will be moved up to before the protagonist's training journey rather than on it.

But enough about that.

Time to finally face the last battle of the game.

Which is not much.

His Pokémon of the same as they've always been, with the only issue being his Arcanine weakening Gracie with Flamethrower. But it's easily taken care of. Also would noting that Gracie is level 82, with the final moveset being Shock Wave, Psychic, Thief, and Toxic. Her held item is the Quick Claw.

And as the credits roll, I'm left with my final thoughts.

A last bit of story to this arc. Gracie sees the light again after the final fight, and it hits her. She is injured, but Phoebe rescues her before she can die. Gracie is able to make a full recovery, but lost all of her powers except for basic ones. She's frustrated, but knows she can at least keep going, and is now suspicious that someone doesn't want her to know something. But knowing that mean she has to know. Gracie has another vision in Johto and thinks she has to go there next.

Professor Pine realizes she can't stop her, and simply wishes her luck. Professor Pine gives Gracie a ferry ticket, and arranges for her to travel with Miranda. After she arrives at Olivine, Miranda drops her off at New Bark, and the adventure begins again.

And now I'm left to ponder the game itself. This, unfortunately is one of the weaker entries in the series. It was still faithful to a game that was a decade old, and as result, it suffers from being rather empty and a bit too easy. There were some things that were done well, such as fixing a lot of the glitches, and vastly improved movesets.

But with the original games being released completely intact on the 3DS, I wonder if anyone will come back to these… They are what they are; a way to play through an updated version of Kanto, and without all the hassles the original had. And for a long time, this was the only way to get access to Kanto in its entirety, so it brought the older games to a lot of people that would otherwise not able to play them. That may be why they were so faithful to the originals… The problem is that games after these, and in some cases, even before, had more content.

It's interesting, because Firered and Leafgreen were the games that drove me away from Pokémon for a while. Since I still had the originals, I didn't like them very much. And the games afterward (Emerald, Diamond, and Pearl) didn't do too well. I began to wonder if I was drifting away from Pokémon, and wanted to instead pursue other series. Then, another game came out, and it got rave reviews. I decided to play that game, and if I didn't like it, I would turn away from Pokémon forever. The game in question is Pokémon Platinum, I'm still a diehard Pokémon fan, and it remains my favorite of the Pokémon games to this day.

But I will talk about that more when I actually do the game.

As for what story I have planned ahead, I'm not entirely sure. Entries will probably be moving faster because I don't have the plot thought out, like I did with Kanto. I also probably will have to figure out a couple changes, because, as I heard one story so amusingly put it, one of the main villains has come down with a bad case of dead during the Traveler series… Said character appears in the Johto games, so I have to rewrite his appearances… What I do know is that the rebels will be more prominent, Phoebe and Morty will appear, Falkner may team up with Miranda sometimes, and Will and Karen will be fought. There also be a delay between the end of this arc and the start of the second, as the end of the first arc is ported over.

Other than that, I don't know much.

But I'm willing to find out, as I head into the unknown, and one of my favorite regions: Johto.


	12. The Past Revisited

**Welcome to another chapter in Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **12: The Past Revisited**

 **Day 11 (February 20, 2018): Johto**

So it is here.

The second arc in Grace's story.

Johto.

Where it all started, a long time ago.

Yes, a very long time ago.

A little girl, about six years of age, was flipping through cartoons on the TV channel. She came across a cartoon called Pokémon, and thought the story of a Jigglypuff and trying to make an all-night town sleep was fascinating and cute.

Soon, she started learning everything she could about Pokémon, and she had a cousin that learned about it with her. She couldn't stop talking about it, and it helped that her sisters had a Game Boy Color. The girl even had a friend who owned an original Game Boy, and let her play his game for a while. She didn't understand what was going on, but she found out she liked it.

Then, her parents caught on.

And she received a game for Christmas.

That game?

Pokémon Gold.

From then on, the little girl became a Pokémon Trainer and never looked back.

Now, almost two decades after Pokémon Gold first burst onto the scene, the girl is entering Johto again as a grown woman.

But things are a little bit different this time.

For one, she enters the region not with a Grass Type Chikorita, but with a psychic Gardevior named Gracie.

For two, games are played on fancy systems called 3DSs and DSs, and maybe something called an emulator.

And three, there is a silver bird, Lugia, on the cover, rather than the rainbow bird Ho-oh.

But the adventure begins anyway…

So, from my dramatic little intro, Pokémon Gold was my first ever Pokémon game, and I have had fond memories of Johto ever since. I still consider the remakes to be some of the best games in the series, but I will get to why in due time.

Also, the game I'm playing is not the remake of Gold, but Silver. This is mainly for novelty, since I've never actually completed Silver. However, I have the Gold remake as a hard copy. This is the hard copy I will use if playing it on my computer doesn't work.

Which leads to a slight story alteration.

The Johto games are the only set of games where both version mascots can be caught no matter what. In the originals, the fights against them were optional. One was available in the first half of the game, and the other in the second. In the remakes, this was kept. However, there is a slight change in that the version mascot of the game the player was playing is no longer an optional fight (the opposite version mascot still is, however). So since I am playing the remake of Silver, Lugia is required. My hard copy is the Gold remake, so in that game, Ho-oh would be fought.

Obviously, this changes of the story a bit.

In the story, I will act like neither fight is optional. So, Gracie will start off fighting the version mascot of the Silver remake first, then immediately go off to fight the other. This is to maintain consistency if different games have to be used, and also for something that comes later on in the story.

It's also because I will not be doing the game's second half, because Gracie has no reason to go to Kanto again. This also means that I will never see the second version mascot in gameplay, unless I have to play both games. There's not that many events in the second half of the game that are connected the first, but this is one of the few that is. In terms of gameplay, having both mascots is not that much of an issue to work in, because the fights are largely the same. This is thanks to an event that occurs shortly before them, but I will get to that event in due time.

For now, it is time to begin the game.

As before, I will be playing sped up when I can, but DS games in general do not run as well if they are not played on their native system. So gameplay might not be as smooth.

However, I begin in speed mode anyway.

I get to pick my gender, but there are some things worth noting. The first is that the original Johto games (specifically, Pokémon Crystal) were the first that allow the player to choose whether they wanted to be a boy or girl. There was a bit of an oddity, though.

Pokémon Crystal had a protagonist called Crystal. She appeared later on in the anime as a Trainer named Marina. Crystal was also seen in the mangas, particularly, being a main character in Pokémon Special.

So it would make sense that she would feature in the Johto remakes.

Except, she didn't.

Instead, Crystal was replaced by a completely different character named Lyra. Lyra made no references to the original character, and canon acted like the latter didn't exist. The fans had several different thoughts, including some stating that Crystal had died on a journey and Lyra had taken her place. Others believed that the two are sisters. In terms of the canon, one of the mangas simply had Crystal wear Lyra's outfit, and acted like the two were the same person. The anime had them as different people, but only Lyra appeared in the main series. For the curious, Crystal appeared in a side series called Pokémon Chronicles, but this side series was entirely different from the main part of the anime. As such, Crystal never interacted with the anime's main protagonists, despite appearing in it. Nowadays, Lyra is typically seen as the canon female Johto character, rather than Crystal.

Except the Traveler series changes this.

In the series, Lyra and Crystal are two different people. Furthermore, they each have their own journeys, and different relationships with the protagonists.

Crystal is an ally of Usurping's protagonist, becoming one of the first companions she has. However, Crystal is constantly outdone and passed over in favor of Lyra. This causes her to become angry and confused over constantly being rejected, surpassed, and generally ignored. It also leads to her making some reckless decisions. These decisions include becoming the Vessel of Missingno, and losing control of her powers during the final battle in Mold Breaker. Despite this, she is unquestionably on the side of good the entire time.

Lyra, on the other hand, is a _bit_ different.

She may be the more famous of the two, but she lets power and fame get to her head. Eventually, Lyra is swayed and manipulated into joining Team Rocket. At the time of Usurping, she is still with them. This scenario is based on an event involving Team Rocket later on in the game that is only in the remakes. Lyra is required to dress up as a Rocket and try to infiltrate their hideout. Some people believe she has joined the evil team until the disguise is lifted. Since this event was never in the original, Lyra can do said event while Crystal cannot. This also explains their difference in the allegiances, because Crystal is never in a situation where people could mistake her for part of Team Rocket.

But enough about the protagonists.

Let's continue on to the gameplay.

Off I start in New Bark. I have to say I love the music here, and the remakes did a fine job with it…

And immediately I meet the other player character, Ethan. Ethan has a Marril that he's playing with, but only in the remakes. If I played as a boy, I would've met Lyra here. This scene is exclusive to the remakes, with the opposite gender player character never making an appearance in the original games. Also worth noting that the male character's default name in the original games was Gold, and he was otherwise exactly the same as his counterpart in the remakes.

Ethan doesn't really do much, because there's another person who acts as the rival in the Johto games. I am also unsure if this scene will appear in Gracie's story, because Ethan has already gone on a journey during Mold Breaker. Thus, he's left by the time Gracie begins her arc in Johto… Maybe Ethan's just stopping at home right now, but I doubt it…

Anyway, on to see Professor Elm. I have to do an errand for his friend Mr. Pokémon. It's interesting because Professor Elm mentions that it's probably just another Pokémon egg in the remakes, but he doesn't have that line in the originals. Perhaps it's because in the originals, Pokémon eggs were first discovered, but they're well known at this point in the series.

I'm not sure how I would write the encounter with Elm in the story. Perhaps Professor Pine will tell Grace to establish contact with him, so he can support and protect her. As for the errand, I'm not sure about that either. Perhaps Professor Elm needs someone to keep the egg safe, and since Mr. Pokémon can't fight, he is unable to do so.

So I grab my starter, getting Gracie with Synchronize on the first try. She has a Lax nature, which is bad because of the fact that increases defense but lowers special defense… Considering how my last run went, it probably won't be too much of an issue… Gracie does not have an advantage or disadvantage over any of the starters in this region, because all three still only have their primary type in their final forms. So, I had my Rival pick Cyndaquil, in honor of the first run I ever completed in Pokémon. Chikorita was the first Pokémon I ever _chose_ , but I did not _complete_ the run. So Gracie represents that by taking Chikorita's place.

Anyway, I head out of the lab, and grab some potions. Next up, heading to the player's house to get a Pokégear. This machine has many functions, including a radio, telling the time, storing phone numbers, and even a map. However, Gracie has most of these functions with her already, so I will probably skip the scene.

I may as well mention one of the most beloved features in the game; walking with Pokémon. This feature only ever appeared before in Pokémon Yellow, and it was limited to Pikachu. In contrast, the Johto remakes allowed the player to walk with any Pokémon in almost any place. The player could also talk to them to figure out how they were doing. Talking to the player's Pokémon enough times gave accessories that could be used in side quests. And if the player was very lucky, they could find something called a Shiny Leaf. Five Shiny Leaves could be made into a leaf crown. The leaf crown didn't do anything, but it was a cool aesthetic. Unfortunately, walking with Pokémon is not appeared since the Johto games. Probably because it's too difficult to render with a bunch of Pokémon in 3D constantly…

It's also worth noting that Gracie will probably find a leaf crown at the end of her journey here, in honor of that mechanic. I'm not sure who would make it for her.

I think someone who might would be Molly Hale. Molly Hale is canonically from a town near Goldenrod (the third major city in the game), so she would be around Johto. She might contact Gracie, telling her to find Professor Elm and go on his errand. After that, Gracie is to eventually meet with her in Goldenrod. Gracie is hesitant, but obliges, not feeling like she has much choice at the moment.

And then there's another mechanic that I'm _not_ too fond of.

The day and night system. The original Johto games were the first to introduce it, and several games have used since. With this system, time passes from morning, to day, and eventually to night. The time of day affects which Pokémon appear, and what side quests can be done. The time of day cannot be changed in the originals, other than using a very difficult mechanic that was hidden in the games coding. The remakes made it so that players could mess around with their system's clock, but doing so inflicted a penalty. The penalty being that the player could not do any more daily events until the clock was reset and an entire day (real time) had passed. So, in the end, manipulating the clock typically wasn't worth it.

I didn't like the day night system, because it was rather inconvenient. If there was a certain event a player had to go get, they were forced to play at a specific time of day. And that time of day mind not be convenient, or even accessible (e.g. someone is gone for most of the day, but an event is only during the day)… To say nothing about Pokémon that are exclusive to certain times. It was either playing at a certain time day or using obscure system of buttons in the original games (or suffer a penalty) in the remakes. Things get even more complicated when some events are also only done weekly… Luckily, I'm not at those yet…

The system won't be so much of an issue in this run, but it's still something I dislike… It's a shame, because it's one of the few aspects I dislike…

Anyway, on to the actual gameplay.

I'm on to the first route, and playing at night. There's really nothing much. However, I do want to make sure that Gracie gets to at least lv. 6 here, as there is a fight that comes up later…

Luckily, she does so, and I enter Cherrygrove. There is a gentleman that serves as a tutorial for some of the aspects in the game. He also gives out the Running Shoes and the Town Map. Unfortunately, the tutorial is not skippable, but the items are nice…

Anyway, off to the north.

And here comes another change I'm not particularly happy with. In the original games, there were trees that bore fruit once a day. The fruit was usually berries, and berries are often useful.

However, occasionally they would bear something else.

And that something else was called an Apricorn. Apricorns could be used to make Poke Balls that were very useful in certain situations. However, the process was tedious at best, and therefore, not very practical. In the originals, Apricorns were not seen until late in the first half of the game.

In the remakes, _every_ berry tree has been replaced with Apricorns.

Berries can still be found, but it requires doing a side quest much later on in the game. I suppose the change was made so people who wanted Apricorns early could get them, but I'm not one who does… Also worth noting that this is a particularly harsh blow because Gracie does not start with a berry. Originally, the starters all started with berries that allowed them to heal 10 HP without losing a turn. This was kept in the remakes. However, since I'm playing on a randomizer, Gracie doesn't have one…

Anyway, I get the Apricorn Box and move on.

I make it to Mr. Pokémon's house, where I meet Mr. Pokémon and Professor Oak. I am not sure I would do this scene, because Professor Oak has no reason to go to Johto in the Traveler universe.

However, I have an idea, and it's based on a hack.

In this hack, it's actually Cynthia who gives out some of the items. She's there to research some of the ruins in Johto. Cynthia also gives an Eevee to the player, in hopes that it will help them. This had to do with the fact that the Sinjoh Ruins in Johto, normally an event only place, were accessible regularly in this hack. Provided the player had done everything else the game, Cynthia would lead them there. This was where Arceus could be caught. Capturing Arceus completed the hack, which means that Cynthia was the last person the player saw before they the game was finished.

In this story, Cynthia is alerted to Gracie and her journey. She comes to wish her luck, and maybe give her something (not the egg or the Pokedex). Gracie is able to feel as though Cynthia is a Pokémon, but doesn't think that's possible, thinking that people being Pokémon is just a myth. Gracie also senses the same power as what Amber had. However, Gracie is still confused because Cynthia has no legendary Pokémon with her. This is a reference to the fact that in the Traveler universe, Cynthia is actually Arceus. However, she takes the guise of a human, and lives normally among them. Also, unlike Professor Oak, Cynthia has a reason to appear in the other regions, because it is her duty to protect them. Not to mention she'll still appear in Sinnoh.

But more about that when we get there.

Anyway, time to continue, and there's a call from Professor Elm. Apparently, a Pokémon has been stolen, and Professor Elm wants Gracie to help.

So, Gracie has to run back to Cherrygrove.

Except when Gracie tries to leave for New Bark, she bumps into a redhaired individual.

Who immediately challenges her to a battle.

Luckily, the battle is easy, because it's only against the Cyndaquil I mentioned before.

Which makes this character the Rival.

And one of my favorite characters in all the games.

The character's name is Silver, but his name is not revealed when the player first fights him. His name is all in question marks in the originals (which amusingly led to many people imputing his name as question marks; I was one of those), and he is called Passerby Boy in the remakes.

Silver is a darker take on the idea of a Pokémon Rival, believing in power above all else and winning at any cost. It's revealed an optional event that he is the abandoned son of Giovanni, but this event cannot be obtained through normal gameplay. It's also worth noting that one of the mangas, Pokémon Special, revealed his parentage several years before the games did. This is because Silver was never mentioned to be Giovanni's son in the original games. His mother is never revealed in either the remakes _or_ the original games. However, it's implied to be Arianna (a character that will show up later, and went unnamed in the originals, but was still present there).

Silver starts off doing horrible things to people, such as stealing Pokémon and otherwise cheating his way through the journey. Eventually, he battles Lance, who gives him a harsh lesson about being kind to his Pokémon. After that, Silver works to reform, and it's implied he becomes an honest Trainer. All charges are dropped against him by the end of the game.

Except I have a problem with this development.

One of the reasons is because it's rather rushed.

The fight against Lance is offscreen, and it's barely given a passing mention. Furthermore, the next time Silver shows up is at the end of the first half, and he is still having trouble learning his lesson. Then, he doesn't appear until midway through the second half of the game. However, he suddenly acts like he's learned his lesson, and otherwise becomes a decent person. This is despite the fact that the player doesn't see any of this. The remakes tried to compensate by giving Silver an optional battle against Clair and Lance with the player, but many people will not see it.

So, it's a good idea, but badly executed.

Plus there's another way Silver's development could've gone.

And it makes a lot more sense.

Silver's spiel is that he's going to beat everyone down with all his power, and that he has to win at any cost. The game tries to say that the player is superior because they make friends and don't always use brute force when fighting.

Except that's not what the player _really_ does.

What the player's really doing is beating him down with their own power. And they're probably using whatever they can to win against him.

Most likely, they're doing that the entire game. Against everyone.

One could argue that since friendship was introduced as a mechanic in these games, they're making friends with their Pokémon while they're fighting. However, friendship doesn't influence battles (other than a few moves, evolutions, and events), and it is generally seen as a useless stat.

So, in the end, the player is not fighting _against_ Silver's claim.

They're _validating_ it, because they're _acting exactly like he does._

If anything, Silver should be more and more encouraged to find power and brute force with every defeat. Especially in the case of Lance, who has a ton of power, some of which cannot be obtained by the player.

And Traveler takes this interpretation and runs with it.

Silver at first acts as a rival to Usurping's protagonist in both timelines. She, annoyed by him, defeats him using her own power. This only spurs him to continue gathering more power in order to beat her, and he is convinced that his ways are right. It is worth noting that at this point the protagonist as well on her journey as a vigilante, so she's become fairly brutal. Eventually, Silver learns that power and brutality are the only ways to survive, and founds the rebels based on this concept. The League tries to sway him from this and also tries to capture him based on his past misdeeds (with said misdeeds implying that he's been in and out of juvenile hall). However, this only makes him angrier.

This is also affected by Team Rocket returning, since Silver is still upset with his father for abandoning him. As a result, he resolves to bring the League system down _and_ fight against the evil teams, gathering a group of like-minded Trainers. It's also worth noting that Silver's mother is not Arianna in this continuity, so he has no connection to Team Rocket other than Giovanni. In the Traveler universe, he and Leaf are also siblings. All of this causes the main protagonist of Usurping to feel extremely guilty, especially when he claims he learned his ways from her.

So this means that Silver has already made a name for himself when the story begins.

And someone else has to take his place.

That someone else's June.

June is actually the unused female protagonist in the original games. In this story, she is willing to do anything she can to survive. This includes temporarily joining with the rebels, and even believing in some of their cause. However, she quickly finds out that doing anything she can to survive has consequences, but also quickly decides she doesn't care. She also thinks that what the League is doing to her is wrong, because they are punishing her when she is trying to survive instead of helping her, and when they could be going after bigger threats. This portrayal based off of June's appearance in Pokémon Special (where she was called Green internationally and Blue in Japanese). In that manga, June was shown to be willing to do anything she could to survive, including stealing, cheating, and lying. In canon, she suffers hardly any consequences, and is even rewarded in some cases.

However, in Traveler, there is a more realistic approach, because her actions have negative consequences, punishments, and even jail time (not severely, though). Furthermore, in her canon work, June eventually stops doing things like stealing and lying. However, in Traveler, she still believes she has to do those things to survive, and does not stop. This is because it has become a learned behavior. Unlike Holly, she is more sympathetic because she's doing those things out of necessity rather than spite. However, others are still disappointed with her. What happens to June also spurs her to join the rebels permanently after the final battle in Mold Breaker. Even though she's not too respectful toward authority, June does respect Pokémon, and is very strong. This is what causes her to become a Vessel, despite being on a villainous side.

It's also worth noting that June's name is changed to avoid confusion with Blue's Japanese name, and possibly Leaf's last name. June is one of the names that the player can select for Leaf, provided they have entered no name in the naming field when the Pokémon Firered or Leafgreen starts. It's also worth noting that June's battle team may be changed, because Silver still has his default battle team in Traveler, but right now she's using Silver's in the game. As to what it will be changed to, I do not know, but it probably will not be the same as her canon character.

And that's really it. I might make it know about the battle taking all night and Gracie arriving late to New Bark because I saved at Cherrygrove.

But that will be for next time.


	13. Flying High

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary. As always, and do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **13: Flying High**

 **Day 12 (February 21, 2018): Johto**

Onward with Johto, and from Cherrygrove Gracie heads!

I'm playing at night again this time, and I just have to head back to New Bark to finish up the story there. Interesting how when the remakes, the protagonist is mistaken for the thief in the lab, until Ethan or Lyra proves them innocent. This never happened in the originals, with instead of the police officer simply asking for the passerby boy's name. I find it's a nice little touch, and choose to give the rival his default name, Silver.

Also, some story.

Gracie heads back to New Bark, finding Professor Elm talking with another man. Gracie relates how she battled someone recently, and the man asks for the person's name. Gracie gives it as June, and notices the officer looks upset. He explains that the person has caused trouble before, but never something as brazen as attacking a professor. The man wonders what is going on, and thanks Gracie for helping in the investigation, stating that he knows about her from the professor.

Gracie nods, but then asks the man for his name. Professor Elm explains that the man's name is Falkner, and that he used to be a Gym Leader in the nearby Violet City. Gracie repeats "Used to be?". Falkner replies, "Oh, I married someone from Hoenn, and decided to live with her. So I had to give up my position in Johto. My father is minding the Gym now. If you're doing the regions in order, you should meet my wife soon." Gracie nods, realizing that she will head to Hoenn after Johto, provided her journey doesn't end here.

Gracie asks Falkner what he is doing in if he typically lives in Hoenn. Falkner replies that Johto is in danger, and on behalf of the League, he has been sent to investigate. Even though he is not a Gym Leader, it is still has a duty to protect the region. Furthermore, the police force felt he would be one of the best qualified people for the job, seeing as he knows Johto well. Falkner's eyes harden as he recalls the seriousness of the situation. Gracie feels a pit in her stomach, as she realizes the encounter with June was most likely just the beginning.

Suddenly, Falkner looks right up at Gracie. He states he's heard stories about her, and she appears to be quite capable. He asks her if she would ally with him in taking down the evil prowling in Johto. Gracie accepts, not really having anywhere else to go, and wanting to prevent further attacks. She also remembers a city in the vision, and wonders if this was Violet. Falkner says that Violet is not far, and that he'll meet her there. Gracie gives a final nod, and he takes off.

So now for a bit of gameplay.

But, first, one more mechanic.

It's one that's not particularly useful, but interesting.

This mechanic is the game's bank system. It exclusive to the Johto games, and requires talking to the player's mom after delivering the egg to Prof. Elm. After that, the player's mom will ask them if they want to save money. If they say yes, then all money come from battles will be halved. The other half of the money will be sent to the player's mom. If the player loses a battle, only the money in their possession is halved. Furthermore, the player can talk to their mom again any time, withdrawing or depositing money that has been saved up.

If the player has saved up enough money, their mother will start to buy them items. These items range from rare items that usually gotten much later, to those that can be gotten almost nowhere else. In the original games, she would also buy the player dolls to decorate their room, but I am not sure she still does this in the remakes. The player can also call their mother any time, in order check how much money has been saved up and decide whether or not they want to continue saving.

Overall, I find it an interesting concept, but not very useful. Most of the items that the player's mother buys can be found pretty easily later on. And while the originals had some almost exclusive items from her, the remakes added new ways to get those items. Furthermore, if the player decided not to decorate their room in the games, the dolls she buys are useless. Also, there's no way to control what the player's mother buys… Finally, although the player can contact their mother to check on their money, they can't do much else. If the player wants change the amount of money they have with their mother, they have to head back to New Bark. This can be quite inconvenient. All these drawbacks may be why the feature has never appeared again. Needless to say, I won't be using it in this run. Since Gracie has no need for a bank, I will probably skip the cutscene completely in her story.

But for now, we are off.

My first catch is a Hoothoot, the basic bird of Johto. It's a little difficult, seeing as Gracie is too strong to weaken anything. But eventually, I manage to win.

And then I head to a different place.

Route 46. To the north.

This area is optional, and meant to be accessed much later. However, the player can still catch weak Pokémon here. Unfortunately, the player can't do much else, because a ledge blocks them from continuing.

But of course, my first time playing Pokémon, I didn't know that.

I thought I was supposed to jump over the ledge, so I spend time wandering around trying to figure out how. I kept beating up while Pokémon with my starter, Chikorita. It was the only Pokémon I had at that point, because I had not progressed to the point of getting Poke Balls. I fought so much that my Pokémon evolved into Bayleef… Keep in mind that Chikorita evolve that level 16, and the highest level Pokémon in the area is level 4…

I eventually wandered into Cherrygrove and back again, triggering the first Rival fight. I knew when I took out my Rival's Cyndaquil in one hit with Razor Leaf that I'd done something wrong… I got a guide and then restarted, but I didn't do much better… The reason for that is I had no idea how to actually raise a team of Pokémon. This is despite the fact that I could read the guide easily and follow the steps, as well as the fact that I had some knowledge of Pokémon moves. So I ended up beating the entire game (both parts, including the secret final boss) with only my fully evolved starter (Cyndaquil) and a bunch of Pokémon used only for HMs. I don't remember much about that run, other than I had the sense to teach Typlosion Thunderpunch and Flame Wheel, and that I ended the run with it at level 86…

Maybe the solo run is inspired by a famous Typlosion in the Traveler series… I'm not sure what the character would be like though…

Anyway, I head on the route to catch a Geodude. I succeed, but use up my remaining Poke Balls. I quickly buy more in Cherrygrove.

And it's not long before I'm on the routes to the north. The Trainers here are not very tough, but one Pokémon is.

Bellsprout.

Normally, Bellsprout wouldn't pose much of a problem, but I need to catch one for later.

Gracie cannot weaken it, so it takes a while and uses up some of my Poke Balls.

But it's also deadly because of another change. Starting with the Sinnoh games, attacks were physical or special based on the move itself rather than the Type. And the Johto remakes take place in the same generation as Sinnoh…

Which means that Vine Whip is now physical. And it targets Gracie's lower defense stat.

While the Bellsprout is caught, it also injures Gracie.

Luckily, the only thing left on the route is a low level Bug Catcher, so I don't bother healing.

And at last I enter Violet City.

Violent City has always been one of my favorite places in the Pokémon world, because I was thought it was beautiful. Not to mention I like the music… And Falkner's also one of my favorite characters, but I will get to him later.

For now, there's another character to introduce; Primo.

Primo is a character new to the remakes, and he has an interesting little quirk. Every time the player starts a new game in either Sinnoh or the Johto remakes, they are given a code. This code depends on the player's trainer ID and the game being played. Entering these codes would have Primo give the player wallpapers for their PC. However, in Platinum and the Johto remakes, Primo also gave out Eggs. They contained Pokémon that otherwise could not be found until later in the game, and all the Pokémon are useful. I'm not talking to Primo this run, but it is still pretty useful. All of the different scenarios for codes can be found simply by searching Primo's name and Pokémon.

Anyway, Gracie sees Falkner, and he is glad she made it. He is surprised when she stares around in wonderment at the town, and thinks that she should look around the city for a while. There are plenty of places to train, so she will find it useful. Falkner has to visit with his father to help out with the Gym, so it will be a while before they're ready to go on missions. Gracie thinks that is a good idea, and looks around.

The first Gracie sees is the Trainer's School, and remembers her fond memories from Saffron. Once there, she meets the eccentric dancing teacher Earl. He surprises her and leaves her feeling a bit confused. Earl states that he is one of the best teachers at the school, and is interested about the idea of a Pokémon acting almost like a Trainer. Earl explains they had a Pokémon that acted like that in Johto once, and he grew up to be very successful. Gracie wonders if she will meet that Pokémon, and Earl thinks she might.

He gives her a few tests to see how she does. With Gracie's knowledge of Pokémon and battle, she does very well. Earl promises to keep in touch to test her skills, and thinks that she could even pass the Pokémon citizenship test. Gracie thinks "Pokémon citizenship test?" Earl nods, talking about how Pokémon can become like humans and become citizens. This allows them to do almost everything humans can do, but also holds them up to their laws. Only if a few Pokémon have passed it, but more are trying every day. So far, the ones that are trying are species like Gracie, ones that are already human in nature. But Earl is confident more will come, because the test is open to all species.

The Pokémon citizenship test is based off of the anime, where some Pokémon (namely, Team Rocket's Meowth) act like human citizens. It's also based on some fan theories that have Pokémon like Gardevior and Gallade also becoming citizens and taking up human roles. I thought that was an interesting concept, so it plays a major role in Traveler.

Earl being a teacher and a good dancer is based on his depiction in the games. In the games, he is both of these things. He is most known for his appearance in Pokémon Stadium 2, where he gives helpful lessons to the player regarding various strategies. The lessons are outdated now, but at the time, they were incredibly helpful, and it was required to complete all of them in order to unlock everything in the game. Earl also makes an appearance in the anime, although oddly enough, he teaches in Hoenn alongside Roxanne, rather than Johto.

Off to the next area of business; the Sprout Tower. This serves as the first dungeon of the game, and it's one of my favorites. I love the lore behind it, with the idea of it being a place for training, and Trainers coming here to remember when they first started out. Not to mention the music is good, and the dungeon has just enough distance to feel like it's a long journey, but not too confusing. It's not bad gameplay wise either, because it has a fairly difficult boss at the end. And it's one of the first things to clue the player in that something's not quite right with Silver…

Anyway, in I go.

Most of the Trainers here use Bellsprout, so it is easy for Gracie to defeat them with Confusion. I do have to watch my Power Points though…

It's also worth knowing that Sprout Tower is famous for being one of the few times Ghost Types can be found in the game. Should the player enter at night, they can capture Gastly, one of the more useful Pokémon. I'm not sure how I would write that in… Maybe Gracie also sees that even spirits train here, so she decides to continue. Also worth noting is that I don't know what she would train in. Someone mentions copying Bellsprout's movements, so maybe the people there would teach her how to do that…

I'm also not sure how I would write the scene at the top… I do know that I want to have Gracie still challenge the Elder, with Professor Pine hinting she will get a reward if she beats him. However, the scene with Silver being scolded isn't there. And I can't use any of the previous characters, because they are already established Trainers (or, in Holly's case, have not started training yet)… I do want to keep that scene in some way, though, because I feel like it's important for later on… Perhaps Gracie sees an image of the past, with someone being reprimanded. I have few characters in mind that could start off of a bit violent, and one of which, interesting enough, is the protagonist of Usurping. Another which is an entirely new character, whose existence is only hinted at much later. And that's not even getting into some of the canon characters that could be in that situation, one of which is still Silver…

Anyway, the Elder is only a bit stronger than his brethren. He has a level 10 Hoothoot in addition to Bellsprout. It puts Gracie to sleep, then does some damage. Other than that, it's not that difficult.

And Gracie gets her flashlight back as I receive Flash. Most of the areas that require this move are optional, but I teach it to the party anyway.

Now it's time for the first Gym Leader, Falkner.

He happens to be one of my favorites. I really enjoy his personality, strong, but not overly so. Not to mention he bucks the trend of having Rock as the first Gym Leader Type. No one else would do this until Unova… Not to mention I like how the anime handled him. His entrance of being on a hang glider, mistaken for a Pokémon thief, and defeating Team Rocket in the air was really cool… Not to mention, his Gym being on top of what looked like a skyscraper was beautiful…

But what I really liked about Falkner was how he interacted with Ash. He was one the few that saw Ash's recklessness first hand, called him out on it, and had more than enough evidence to back up his claims… For example, he brings the very good point of how battle isn't worth fighting if one's Pokémon seriously injured… And he also mentions how it's a bad choice to use a Pokémon that's naturally weak another one, and demonstrates that point right front of Ash… I feel like Ash should have lost the battle to him, and suffered some consequences for it (e.g. Charizard having some more permanent injuries or least bing incapacitated, Pikachu be unable to fight for a while, Chikorita being afraid of anything involving flight). Maybe I will do that in the Traveler series. Ash is also a good choice for the vision in Sprout Tower, because even though he's not necessarily harsh, he does tend to get a bit too caught up in battles sometimes to realize the consequences…

Also worth noting that the games are unclear whether Falkner's father is alive or dead (although some optional dialogue implies that it is the latter). However, Pokémon Special confirms that he is alive, although he did get injured in combat. Falkner's father goes by three names; Walker, Roy, and Wayne. Wayne is the first one I saw, so that's the one I will be using for Traveler. It goes without saying that Traveler takes the manga interpretation, so Falkner's father is alive.

Anyway, Falkner has finished up his work in the Gym, and Gracie heads over to him. He congratulates her for finishing up training, but now says he must test her. Gracie tenses, ready to fight. However, Falkner says that in order to work with him, Gracie must be ready to travel through both land and air. The gym opens up to a giant area, with Falkner's place on the top. Gracie thinks she'll be fine, because she made it to the top of the tower. However, as soon as she steps on the platform, she starts to feel nauseous and dizzy as it shoots up. She thinks about taking some of the Coast Guard cocktail, but thinks it's too late for now.

So into the Gym I head.

Falkner's Gym is fairly simple, with a raised platform and two pathways. The first pathway is easier to see, but takes the player through two Trainers. The second pathway is almost transparent, going around to Falkner. I decide to fight the Trainers, because they're not that difficult.

And then there is Falkner himself.

He's also not all that difficult, containing both a low leveled Pidgey and Pidgeotto. Falkner strategy's depends on the game one is playing. In the originals, his Pokémon knew the move Mud Slap. This allowed them to do super effective damage against almost everything that his Pokémon were weak to, also lowering accuracy so the player could not strike back. In the remakes, his strategy is a bit more defensive, as he has the healing move Roost. This move heals his Pokémon for up to half their maximum HP, but they lose their Flying Type next turn. Honestly, I think both moves are annoying, but I will see how Gracie does.

And she does spectacularly.

Pidgey doesn't even get to attack, and Pidgetto only does a little bit of damage with Tackle before being taken down.

So Gracie gets the Zephyr Badge.

And a bit more story.

Falkner congratulates Gracie on her victory, but also notices she is a bit uncomfortable. Gracie states that she's never been this high up before, and is not used to it. Falkner wonders if he should take her flying sometime. Gracie unintentionally blurts out, "Could you teach me how to fly?" She slaps her hand over her mouth as she realizes her sentence came out wrong. Falkner laughs, understanding what Gracie meant to say. He says he can at least teach her how to be more comfortable in air, and asks Gracie if she has any experience with flying before. Gracie replies that there was a time when someone gave her something similar to wings in Kanto, but she doesn't have them now.

Falkner is intrigued, and Gracie adds that she had gotten lost in Kanto, on the route west of Celadon. She ended up in a little house in the middle of nowhere, and had a very strange encounter where the inhabitant gave her wings. She feel little guilty, describing her encounter, wondering if she's breaking her promise. But she thinks she hasn't said enough for anyone to identify the argument of the house she found. Falkner simply repeats that Gracie ended up in a strange house, and the inhabitant gave her wings. She notices Falkner's cringing, and wonders if he knows more than he lets on. She thinks he probably won't tell her, and decides to just continue.

Anyway, that's it for now.

Next, the path to the second gym, and where this part of the run truly gets underway.


	14. Bugs in the Shadows

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **14: Bugs in the Shadows**

 **Day 13 (February 23, 2018)**

Off to another episode of the Gracie channel!

This time, it's up to Azalea, and do I have a lot of things planned for that…

First things first, the Togepi egg. It's required to get this item after Violet City, although the player is not required to do anything with it. I'm just going to keep in my party anyway, because I have a soft spot for Togepi.

And the first of the Kimono Girls appears here… I always liked the Kimono Girls, and they are confirmed to know the protagonist of Usurping. Suffice to say they will play a part in her stories, but I have no idea what part they will play in Gracie's… It may have to do with Gracie being worthy of the legendary Pokémon… They're slightly different in the Traveler universe. The youngest is a traveling Trainer rather than a performer. She travels with the protagonist of Usurping for a time. So, nor for the remaining four sisters to have all eight Eevee evolutions, each of them has two.

Maybe Gracie actually does receive an Egg, having it explained that sometimes traveling Trainers hatch Eggs for others. She still starts to wonder about having her own egg and mate, but doesn't want to slow down her mission. Falkner mentions there some sort of system that allows Pokémon to carry others' Eggs inside of them (meaning, like a surrogate). While Gracie wouldn't get to keep the baby or have a mate, she would at least be able to understand what having an egg is like. The old couple near Goldenrod would more information, and supposedly it pays well. Gracie decides to keep it in mind.

This is based on something in gameplay, where players can hatch eggs for each other, or if one player has more than one version, they can hatch eggs for the other one. I've done both situations, and I have also hatched eggs for other people. Plus I also think would be interesting to see what Gracie does what comes to pregnancy and childbirth because her species is often associated with motherly vibes. It would change her relationship with another character later though, from two friends to mother-daughter…

Anyway, the Ruins of Alph is to the west. The Ruins of Alph is fairly important in the other books, but Gracie has no reason to go there now. There's not much to do at this point, except listen to some cool music and catch a few species of Unown. However, it becomes much more relevant gameplay wise once the player gets the abilities cross water, and a secret entrance is discovered. I plan on doing this part of the game, even though it's not related to the main story. Therefore, I will do anything about the ruins of Alph that relates to this story after I get the ability to cross water.

So on Gracie goes.

I'm playing that night, and there's a very useful Pokémon, Wooper that appears here if the game is played at night. I catch it mainly for HM reasons.

The Trainers here pretty easy, but it's worth noting there are two paths. One is a giant fishing area with a huge bridge and water. Another is through the grass. I think that Gracie will actually learn how to fish, because several Trainers here offer to teach the player. It's worth noting that this is the first of the games where viable water type Pokémon from fishing can be gotten very early on (meaning with the Old Rod, rather than the Good Rod). So it would make sense story wise.

This is probably where Falkner starts to teach Gracie how to be comfortable with flying, although he lets Gracie walk around the routes to train. She also learns that he is the Vessel of Lugia, and Gracie shudders as she thinks of Amber. However, she reassures herself that Amber and Falkner are not the same, and that she should wait before judging.

Anyway, on the route I continue.

There's the Old Rod here. And of course, the person who tries to con the player out of all their money with a useless Slowpoketail… It will never work, because the value the person asks for is impossible to get legitimately in the game… But back in the day, I thought that could work, so I tried figuring out ways I could get that much money… And then when I actually got to the point in the game where the player can buy that item, I bought a lot of them thinking they were useful. Turns out they're not...

I get why they're not in the regular game story, because it's considered something illegal, but the Pokémon lore also states they are pleasant to chew on, so I would think they would at least be a healing item. Not to mention I don't understand what's so bad about taking the tails other than the people doing it didn't ask anyone's permission and didn't seem to care for the Pokémon... I feel like the emphasis was more how was done, rather than the tails themselves…

Which is why the tails are more useful and don't have a negative connotation in the Traveler universe.

Slowpoketails have a legal business near Azalea, and they're priced slightly higher than some other foods. It's so much having exotic food, and having that be more expensive or having to go to a special market (e.g like crab or lobster for a lot of places, or any area where a foreign food is available, but not local). Furthermore, the locals have found a way to do it that doesn't really bother the Slowpoke, so it's become a thriving trade. Falkner gets one for Gracie, and she thinks about how tasty it is, but also about how odd it is that she's eating the tail of another Pokémon. She decides she will respect Slowpoke from now on for bringing other something so delicious.

This idea is based off of several ways of hunting or otherwise using animals without killing them. For example, there's a dish that's made from crab claws, but doesn't involve killing the animal. Instead, the crab has two claws, and fishermen cut off the larger of the claws. The crab is tossed back into the ocean, where can hunt with a similar claw until the other one grows back. Then, the cycle repeats again. I remember when I had the dish for the first time, and was surprised at how was made… I haven't had in years though, so I miss it…

Anyway, moving on.

Also, I realize that I forgot to get the HM Rock Smash, so I head back. Good thing I did, because there's a very good item hiding past a breakable rock… It's a Shell Bell, something that heals HP based on the amount of damage the holder does. It's a pretty good item for Gracie, considering her offensive stats, so I equip it to her.

Anyway, time to enter the Union Cave (or as some people hilariously call it, the Onion Cave). It's a small cave that's already lit up, so it's easy to traverse. The claim to fame is that once the player gets the ability to cross water, they can find the secret entrance to the Ruins of Alph, and catch the rare Pokémon Lapras. Unfortunately, Lapras only appears under very specific conditions, and it's not required to complete the run. So I don't know if I will see it here.

For now, it's time to go through the cave. It isn't too difficult, but I do have to worry about Power Points. Also worth noting that the short route here is almost always raining, so I might include something about how Gracie feels about the rain.

Anyway, I enter Azalea. This quite a bit to do here, and some story too, but I'm saving it for later.

Because now Gracie has to drive back Team Rocket from the Slowpoke Well. Off to go talk to a man named Kurt, and she is on her way.

The Slowpoke Well, like its name implies, is one of the few places to catch Slowpoke. However, they don't appear as Trainer battles here. Instead, the battles are against Team Rocket and their many Poison Type Pokémon.

Also, Gracie gets a move here, Wish. It's a powerful healing move, but doesn't take effect until the end of the turn after it's used. I am not sure if I will actually use it due to healing potions and items being available, but it's worth learning for now.

Anyway, Team Rocket Executive Proton makes his first appearance. He actually was present in the original, but went unnamed. Proton claims to be ruthless, but he is also a coward and master of dirty fighting. He is one of the Team Rocket members that helps to lead the resurrected organization. I have my thoughts on this entire plot, but I will save them for later. Furthermore, the Traveler series has him acting almost completely the same as the canon counterpart, but the circumstances for the resurrection are very different. Again, that's something I will get to later.

Proton is not tough, with his poison type Pokémon being taken down by Confusion. After that, Kurt takes Gracie to his place, and talks little bit about Apricorns.

Speaking of which, might as well talk about Kurt now. Kurt is an interesting character, but unfortunately not all that useful. He makes exclusive Poke Balls from Apricorns using an ancient technique. Unfortunately, these Poke Balls aren't all that helpful. The reason is because of the process used to make them.

The player must bring Kurt his materials from various trees. Once the materials are collected, Kurt can only make one set of Poke Balls at a time. While he can make multiples of the same ball, he can't do more than one type of ball per request. It's also worth noting that although the player can call him to check on the progress of request, they cannot obtain the finished items from him, nor can they send him materials. So it becomes tedious, because the only way to get items from Kurt is to physically go back to Azalea… The player gets the ability to instantly fly to locations later on, but by that time, they will have much better equipment. So Kurt is rather useless, unfortunately. It's also worth noting that his granddaughter goes unnamed in the games, but the anime reveals her name is Maisie.

I don't really have much of an opinion on Kurt personality wise, especially since he's never seen battling. He is part of a special event in both the anime and the games. In the anime, he is the conclusion of the GS Ball arc, taking the item and trying to study it. Unfortunately, that arc was supposed to longer and contain Celebi, but it never came to be.

In the games, this event can be completed in full. The player receives a GS Ball in Goldenrod, and takes it to Kurt. Kurt is unsure what it is, but decides to study it. After a day has passed, Kurt has figured out something and asked the player to take the GS Ball to Ilex Forest. He states that the forest has grown restless, and asks the player to investigate. Celebi then appears when the player enters the forest, and can be battled after the player interacts with the shrine in the center. Kurt then ends the event by saying that this will inspire him to make better Poke Balls.

The interesting thing about this event of is its history. It's one of the few mythical Pokémon events that is now available to all players, but didn't start out that way. Originally, it was only available to copies of Japanese Crystal that used a Pokémon mobile service. The event was translated into English, but never used in the game. However, it could still be activated if the player cheated to get a GS Ball. It was also worth knowing that the mobile service did not need to be used, instead transferring the beginning of the event to the Pokémon Center itself. Regions outside of Japan did not have a legitimate way of performing this event until Pokémon Crystal released on the 3DS Virtual Console. This release was nearly two decades after the original event, and also added the additional requirement of completing the main game. The GS Ball is not found at all in the remakes, with the event instead been replaced by one in which the player finds out Silver is Giovanni's son, and a Celebi solo battle with Giovanni.

As for the GS Ball, I doubt it will make an appearance in the Traveler series, although if it will, that will be very late. Also worth noting that the GS Ball arc in the anime starts with Professor Ivy, so she'll probably make an appearance here.

Anyway, I have bigger fish to fry.

Like Silver.

Silver appears when the player tries to proceed to the Ilex Forest. His team is a bit tougher, but since two out of the three members are poison types, Gracie doesn't have much trouble. It's worth noting that he had an issue where if Totodile was his starter, it would show up in its second form before it could legally get to that evolution. This was fixed in the remakes by making his starter higher-leveled.

So after that fight, I head to the final area; Azalea Gym.

This gym has received a complete redesign, and it's really cool. Originally, there was just a simple puzzle of heading through trees, with no traps at all.

Now, it's changed to having the Pokémon Spinarak moving through spiderwebs as the player traverses the Gym. The Pokémon have colored pathways, and flicking a switch of the same color changes the pathway they are on. Strategically flicking the switches determines what Trainers the player will battle, and how they reach the leader. I imagine if this Gym were to be put into the Traveler universe, Gracie would be a bit freaked out because of the height. However, thanks to Falkner helping her with her difficulties in air, she'd be able to traverse it easier.

Anyway, the trainers here are not difficult. It's mostly due to severe level disadvantage, though. Gracie is at level 20. To put that in perspective, that's around the level a player can expect to be at when facing the _fourth_ gym. Bugsy is the _second._

Speaking of Bugsy, I may as well talk about him.

I'm rather neutral on him. I do like the nerdy researcher type of personality that he has, but I don't like how the anime turned him into a bratty kid… I'm never understand why they did that, considering he's a respected researcher in every other medium… Also worth noting that he looks like a girl, so some fan works have portrayed him as female. I won't be doing that here.

Anyway, Bugsy got a significant upgrade in the remakes. In the original games, he had Fury Cutter. This attack that stronger the more times a hit in a row. However, it started at only 10 power when other weaker moves were around 35. Furthermore, the attack could miss, and then the power level would reset. He had a powerful Pokémon called a Scyther, but since his Type had many weaknesses, it was little more than mildly annoying.

The remakes gave Busgy U-Turn.

Which is a move that often strikes first, and has over 80 power.

The player's Pokémon don't have anything near that level.

The only upside is that he will automatically switch out into his other Pokémon, Metapod and Kakuna after that. They're significantly weaker, but as soon as they are down, Scyther comes back out.

To make matters worse, all of Scyther's other moves have been boosted in power thanks to something called Technician. Technician boosts the power of weaker moves, and all of Scyther's other ones fit that definition.

Bugsy calls Scyther the bug Pokémon warrior. He's not kidding.

With Gracie's weak defense and Type disadvantage, this will be a dangerous fight.

But I begin anyway.

And I get insanely lucky.

Gracie uses Confusion, and Scyther uses Leer. It probably is setting up to weaken me and take me out on the next turn, but never gets the chance. Instead, Gracie hits her opponent again, confusing it. Scyther hits itself in confusion, and Gracie finishes it off. Fairly easy fight, but it could have gone much worse…

And then there's just a bit of story.

Gracie reaches Azalea, finding Karen and Will, as well as Prof. Ivy, there. Karen and Will greet Gracie warmly, as does Professor Ivy. The two Elite Four members explain that although they are members of Kanto, they still return now and then to defend their homeland. Professor Ivy states that she will sometimes study the creatures of Johto and travel there. Gracie nods, and Falkner also says hello. The group engages in small talk, when they hear a commotion. It appears rebels are attacking along with Team Rocket and June. Professor Ivy suspects that they are targeting the forest to the west, but they want to subdue the town so it doesn't cause them any harm.

Even with their combined strength, the rebels prove more than a match. Falkner and the Gym Leader Bugsy are injured, and Gracie thinks that this will be the worst possible outcome. All of a sudden, shadows appear in the sky darkening everything. As if possessed by their own will, the shadows shoot out and attack all of the enemies. The enemies are caught off guard, with many not knowing what is going on. June starts to say "You… What are you doing here?". Gracie wonders what June is referring to, but feels like she can barely move. She becomes terrified as the shadows reach out for her as well, but they feel almost comforting, like sleep. Gracie lets herself drift off, as Professor Ivy and Karen muse on what happened.

Gracie wakes up later, and the others are relieved to see she is safe. She asks about what happened, and Prof. Ivy thinks it's an intervention of one of the other Pokémon gods. Gracie's eyes widen, and she remembers what she knows about Arceus and her miracles. Gracie wonders if this is one of them, and Will shakes his head. He states that those familiar with Johto know Arceus from one of the worship sites there, and that doesn't appear to be her. Gracie thinks it's a Vessel, but Karen doesn't believe so.

The Dark Type user's eyes hard and she says she can think of only one Pokémon that acts like that. Gracie trembles as she says the name Giratina. Gracie is stunned, thinking of Giratina as the critical judge of the dead and the one that leads people and Pokémon to the afterlife. She shivers, remembering that Giratina would become angry at those who took honest souls before their time, subjecting them to his ghostly justice. And although he was fair to most of the dead, he was known to be vicious to those who dared threaten his allies. And once someone earned his loyalty and respect, he would never look back.

Gracie wonders why he would find them all worth protecting, because they were just ordinary people and Pokémon. And he seemed particularly harsh. Gracie thinks that it might've just been because those people wanted to end their lives, but she is not sure. She then looks at Karen, wondering why one of the gods of Sinnoh would be here. Karen replies that he could have forged a pact with a Trainer, in which case he would dutifully follow them to the end. Gracie wonders if it's because of a Vessel, and Karen replies it's not. She shakes her head as she explains Giratina does not have a Vessel. He hasn't had one for long as anyone can remember, even though many Trainers have tried.

Gracie simply replies "Then who…" Will cuts in "The Mold Breaker". Gracie's eyes widened, and Will continues, "According to legend, the Mold Breaker has known Giratina since she was a baby, and as soon as the two met, he became ever fateful." Gracie continues to act surprised, wondering how the Mold Breaker would know Giratina for that long. Professor Ivy explains Giratina is one of the gods of death. The Mold Breaker has been through many situations where she has been close to dying, so Giratina knows that Trainer very well. She continues saying that that Trainer may be ruthless, but the Mold Breaker also has an instinctive need to protect others in trouble. Gracie thinks it's ironic that someone is using a God of death to protect people.

She then asked why the rebels were trying to attack the forest of the west. Prof. Ivy states that the forest contains a shrine to honor Celebi, and almost every Trainer knows that obtaining Celebi also means obtaining great power. Gracie asks if Celebi has a Vessel to protect it, and Professor Ivy's eyes are full of sadness, as she states that the Vessel for Celebi died some years ago. Since then, it has yet to choose another, and Gracie thinks it had better hurry up.

Later on, the group finds out that Falkner's still the hospital, and it will be a while before he gets better. Gracie is crestfallen, wanting to continue her journey but not wanting to leave Falkner behind. Professor Ivy comforts her, saying that Falkner is in good hands, and offers to travel with her in his place. She says that she would like to study Gracie's interesting relationship with the training world, and Gracie accepts.

That's it for now. Next time, Goldenrod, and even more interesting story!


	15. New Life

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **15\. New Life**

 **Day 14 (February 24, 2018): Johto**

Off to Goldenrod I go! Playing at morning this time.

But first I have to get through the Ilex Forest. I remember my first time through, it was rather confusing… Also worth noting that the Ilex Forest is kind of creepy, because even if it is morning or day, the place is dark as though it is night... Creepiness is toned down in the anime, though.

There's a bit of a puzzle with finding two missing Pokémon (only one in the original). The idea is not to step on branches, or the Pokémon will notice the player and run away. For Gracie, this would be easy, because she can float above them. Perhaps this puzzle will be skipped… What's not going to be skipped is an encounter with a Kimono Girl. I am not sure which one this is, but she says Gracie will do something soon that influences all of the future.

Gracie wonders what that is, and the Kimono Girl tells her to keep going. From the looks of things, this Kimono Girl canonically has Espeon, so she will have the same Pokémon in the Traveler series, and may be the same person. It's worth noting that the Kimono Girls have their Pokémon swapped around in the remakes. It is unknown if this is intentional, or a translation error. Regardless, the Kimono Girl seen here originally had Flareon. I do not know she will have it here. Also knowing the canonically, all five Kimono Girls appear throughout the game. In the Traveler universe, there are only four, so someone has to appear twice. It will most likely be Zuki, their leader.

Anyway, with that out of the way, on to the gameplay.

The Farfecth'd puzzle gives me a few problems, mainly because I'd forgotten how to do the second one... However, after a few tries, I figure it out and can progress. I also get the HM for Cut here, teaching it to the party. There is a move tutor for Headbutt. The move can be used to find a few extra Pokémon, and is typically very good for physical attack users. However, Gracie isn't one, and I don't need extra Pokémon, so I'm not using it. Also worth noting that I can go back to Azalea to get an item that powers up Fire Type moves. But since Gracie cannot learn any, I'm not going to do that.

Also, Togepi hatches here, and Gracie is overjoyed. Prof. Ivy is also happy, but gently reminds Gracie that Professor Elm wanted the Pokémon for research purposes, and that a journey as perilous as Gracie's is hardly a place to take a baby along. Gracie looks crestfallen, but she knows Professor Elm will take care of the Togepi. She says they could at least wait until there's an area to send Pokémon to the lab, and Professor Ivy agrees. Probably some time passes between here, to get Gracie used to and wanting to take care of a baby.

Also worth noting that she strikes up a conversation with Professor Ivy. At first, Gracie asks what it's like to breed. Professor Ivy's eyes go wide, and she wonders if Gracie wants to have The Talk, and that out in public is hardly the place to do that. Gracie shakes her head, stating that she was talking about things like having a mate (she quickly corrects herself to husband, but Professor Ivy understands), pregnancy, raising a child, and childbirth. Professor Ivy is surprised she would ask such questions, but Gracie says she wants to be a mom. Prof. Ivy smiled, realizing that Gardevior do have motherly traits, and says for as long as Gracie has been in the wild, she is surprised she hasn't taken a mate there. Gracie says that no one appealed to her, so she focused on getting stronger instead. But she still wants a mate and children her own. The details of the conversation are unknown at this point (other than not going into anything too graphic), but the general consensus is though it is a lot of work, it is well worth it. Professor Ivy also explains that every experience is different, and although she can explain it as best she can, explanations can only do so much. Gracie nods, and is now even more curious.

So the two continue.

I'm on the route north of Goldenrod, and the Trainers here are nothing special.

But something else is.

The Day Care Center.

The Day Care Center, as in most games, allows the player to level up and breed Pokémon. In Pokémon Crystal, the player could receive something called the Odd Egg. The Odd Egg was unique in that in that I would always hatch into one of the available baby Pokémon at the time, other than Togepi. The baby would always know Dizzy Punch, and would have a higher chance of being Shiny (differently colored) than normal. This event was removed in the remakes, but that doesn't prevent me from doing something with it anyway.

Professor Ivy is able to use the PC, sending Togepi to Prof. Elm. Gracie heads up to the Day Care couple, remembering what Falkner said. She asks if they have need for a surrogate, and Professor Ivy is surprised. Gracie did say that she was interested in becoming a mother, and Professor Ivy thinks this is fair enough. She does mention that Gracie will have to put her journey on hold for a while when she's pregnant, but Gracie does not seem to mind. She excitedly repeats her request, and it turns out the Daycare couple do have need for surrogate. There is a Trainer right now who is trying to breed Pokémon, but the female is having trouble carrying anything to term. Although she has managed to do so successfully a few times, with all the miscarriages, the couple are afraid of the risks if she keeps trying.

Gracie thinks that she could carry one of the babies, and then the Trainer and the Pokémon would be happy. The Daycare lady says they are in luck, because the other Pokémon is ready to breed right now. They just have to speak to the Pokémon and the Trainer, to see if they approve this decision. The Daycare couple wants to introduce Gracie to the other mother, but Gracie declines, saying that she wants the Pokémon to be a surprise. So the others talk to the Trainer privately, and it comes back as a yes. The Trainer has heard of Gracie, and has a good track record with Gardevior. So, they decide to go through with it. The Trainer goes unnamed here, but confirmed later to be Paul from the anime.

Gracie is later inseminated, making her pregnant. She is overjoyed, and thinking about how happy the baby inside of her and the mother Pokémon and her Trainer will be. Professor Ivy quietly asks what the Pokémon will be, that explains that the species that the mother and baby are affects the care they receive. The professor promises to keep it the baby's species from Gracie, and slyly wonders if Gracie can figure it out based on how she's going to get cared for. Gracie's eyes light up as she starts to treat it almost like a game.

Eventually, she walks off from the Day Care center, and meets Miranda. This is because the area near Goldenrod is where the player can first encounter a police officer in the series. These Trainers often watch out for the player, but if it is night, they will battle. She says hello to Gracie, and states that she appears to be doing well. Miranda notices Gracie has a huge grin on her face, and Miranda comments that she looks like a child who just started stealing from a cookie jar. Gracie replies that maybe that's what the child will do. Miranda is shocked, and Professor Ivy has to explain that Gracie decided to take part in surrogacy, because she wanted to know more about being a mother

Miranda later calms down and congratulates her, although she points out this will slow her down. Gracie doesn't seem to mind, pointing out what the Kimono Girl in Ilex Forest stated. She wonders if this is the event the Kimono Girl mentioned, and Professor Ivy points out this could very well be the case. Gracie asks Miranda what she's doing here, and Miranda explains that she's supposed to team up with Falkner to help with what's happening in Johto. However, Falkner has been injured, so she's just doing what she can right now. Miranda states that the city of Goldenrod is not far, so if Gracie needs a place to settle down for a while, Goldenrod is the place to go. Miranda also states that if Gracie needs help and she is in the area, she is more than happy to assist. Gracie realizes she was supposed to meet someone there, and that she'd better hurry.

Gracie gets to Goldenrod, and runs into Zuki. She says her sister has already told her what happened, and says that she will help with the impending birth. Zuki shakes her head, thinking that this is only natural, considering how Gracie reacted to the Egg. She states that the Kimono Girls have a house in Goldenrod that they stay in, and Zuki is currently using it now. She invites Gracie over there, as a place to stay until she's ready to give birth. It will give her some privacy, and it won't be overcrowded. However, she will still have to birth in the Pokémon Center and make trips there. The others elect to stay in the Pokémon Center, although Professor Ivy returns frequently to study how Gracie is progressing.

The next few months deal with Gracie experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy and how she reacts to them. The group decides that although Gracie still can move around and otherwise do things while she is pregnant, battling is not a good idea. This is because she could be injured and damage or lose her baby. Professor Ivy points out that pregnant Pokémon often don't battle, even in the day care centers. In a lot of scenarios, mates or other Pokémon in their groups take care of them. Occasionally, there are the risky ones or those who have no choice but to battle up until the end of the pregnancy, but it's generally ill advised. Gracie doesn't seem to miss battling, though, explaining that she's had enough of kill or be killed for a while. Professor Ivy and Zuki don't blame her for that.

Gracie decides she still wants to do something for the city, and Zuki suggests working in Goldenrod's giant supermarket, helping out with the items and whatnot. Pokémon are generally welcomed as volunteers to the place, considering they know the items, and at the very least, can help greet customers. Doing something like that is a task that Gracie would be good at, considering she's good with people. Gracie accepts the idea, and accompanies Zuki to the supermarket. This idea is based on the games, where a lot of Pokémon are seen in Poké Marts. Some fan works have them working in the Marts, mainly because they know the items.

Although, working in the Poké Mart may not be the best idea.

The reason is that Gracie would still have to do a lot of walking around, and lifting items. Another possible thing is to help out Whitney, who is a sports coach but also helps out with matters related to Pokémon beauty and grooming. She states that Johto doesn't really have the equivalent of those services, not like Kanto does. So Whitney takes it upon herself to provide them to Johto. She also introduces Gracie to Moomoo Milk, because her parents run a dairy farm. She says that milk from the Pokémon Miltank will keep the baby healthy, and it's one of the best healing items for Pokémon. Gracie develops a taste for it, and hopes she can find some later.

Whitney being a sports coach has to do with her being the one that introduces the player to the equivalent of a sports triathlon in the Pokémon world. Her official art also suggests she likes sports, considering it shows her in softball gear. Whitney focusing on Pokémon beauty and things like grooming has to do with the fact that she thinks a lot of Pokémon are cute. Not to mention she lives near a haircut place, and unwittingly takes Ash to it. The dairy farm comes from Whitney's family owning one in the anime. Whitney also states that she used to work on the farm when she was younger, so she knows quite a bit about Pokémon births. Gracie asks why she's not there now, and Whitney says she prefers the big city, so she works there instead.

Also worth noting that Gracie meets Molly Hale in person here. Molly Hale introduces herself, and Gracie is honored to meet someone so famous. The two talk about the journey for a while, and why Molly is here. Molly notices that Gracie is pregnant, and tells her that if she takes good care of the life inside of her, something good will happen. Gracie is ecstatic, renewing her promise to make the Trainer and Pokémon happy. Molly smiles, but then her eyes darken as she tells Gracie to find someone who will "destroy the foundations of the Pokémon training world itself." Gracie throws up her hands, wondering if Molly means she wants her to side with the rebels. Molly shakes her head no, believing this is relates to the person she needs to protect. Gracie is confused, wondering how she can protect a destroyer. Molly says she doesn't know how, only that this is the news she received.

Gracie continues to work with Whitney throughout her pregnancy, preferring that to doing nothing. Whitney states that she will take care of her, but has her promise to report immediately to her or the others if she feels anything abnormal. One day, Gracie starts to feel her stomach hurting, and wonders why. She tells Whitney, and the gym Leader asks what it feels like. When Gracie describes the pain, Whitney realizes she's probably going into labor, and takes her to the hospital. She has her Pokémon alert the others, and they all meet her there.

Gracie is a bit confused and nervous, but is constantly reassured that the people there will take care of her. The birth lasts a long time, so Gracie wonders if there's anything wrong. The nurse assures her that there isn't, and that she will let Gracie know the instant something is wrong.

Gracie is rather calm and composed naturally, so she doesn't really scream. However, she does act uncomfortable during the birth, wondering why it's taking so long and hurts so much at one point. It's worth noting that the Pokémon world probably has a lot of different ways of managing Pokémon birth, due to the different powers Pokémon could have. It's also worth noting that the scene will most likely focus on Gracie's reactions to what's going on (including talking to the others), rather than the physical part of it. The main reason for this is not to make the birth too graphic, both because it might be unappealing, and because Gracie probably isn't focusing on that. It's also worth noting that everyone Gracie has met in Goldenrod is there (including Miranda), and take turns reassuring her.

Professor Ivy is the one exception to that, instead saying that it's very rare for professors to witness a Pokémon birth, because many Trainers prefer to use breeders or day care centers. So she documents what's going on, in hopes that what is witnessed here will help Trainers who choose not to or can't use the services. She talks to Gracie before the birth though, and Gracie agrees to let her do that. Gracie now thinks of the other Trainer and his Pokémon, hoping what she's doing will help them.

Eventually, Gracie finishes giving birth, and she and the Egg are declared to be healthy a bit later. Professor Ivy asks her if she wants know the surprise, and Gracie says yes. Professor Ivy smiles and says that Gracie gave birth to a Mimikyu Egg. Gracie asks what that is, and Whitney explains that it is a powerful and rare Pokémon. It's also a ghost, but it's adorable. Gracie thinks that with a Pokémon like that, the Trainer will surely be happy, and decides this was really all worth it. She drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face.

It's worth noting this entire scenario actually came from something that I wanted to see in canon. While the canon Pokémon media doesn't show childbirth for obvious reasons, one would think with Pokémon breeding beeing such a huge mechanic, at least _something_ would be shown. There could be a Pokémon sitting with their Egg, a pregnant Pokémon, someone realizing they have to rush to the hospital, someone talking about making mistakes while breeding (e.g. accidentally leaving Pokémon at nursery for too long, or Pokémon being in the wrong egg groups). There could even just be the emotions that come from having a child, being pregnant with one, Trainer reactions, or even what the Pokémon think about eventually breeding. Maybe the day care couple could be shown a bit more often, advising those who want to breed…

But instead, there's not much of anything.

The games simply say that people don't know where Eggs come from, and Trainers acting surprised when their own Pokémon has an Egg. The other media explain this a bit more, but not much. Several Trainers are seen with Eggs, or their Pokémon have Eggs. However, it's not explained what the Trainer or anyone else did to end up with the egg, and very rarely are mates even shown. Sometimes, children and parents are acknowledged, but it doesn't go beyond that. Pokémon breeders are also in all media, but they're never shown helping any Pokémon breed. The closest having a birth shown on screen is when an Egg hatches, and it's usually fairly rapid (meaning, they usually just glows or cracks a little and that's it). Some fan works go beyond that, showing Pokémon having Eggs, pregnant, or giving birth on screen.

Obviously, the Traveler series is one of those.

The interesting thing about this scenario was it was actually in the original draft. Several Trainers wanted their Pokémon to have Eggs for various reasons (usually, master Trainers wanting to carry on the line of their pedigree Pokémon, or Trainers wanting to pass down the children of the Pokémon to younger family members or friends). The original protagonist of Usurping had a few Pokémon that got pregnant and had Eggs. However, since she was not a breeder and not into owning duplicates of the same Pokémon, she was unsure of what to do with them. Eventually, she ended up giving the Pokémon to others. It also implied that the main reason this happened is because she was reckless, and not paying attention to her Pokémon (also worth noting that spaying and neutering cannot be done to Pokémon in this world, except for medical emergencies, so Trainers have to be very careful). One of the Pokémon that was confirmed to be in this situation was the Mightyena that would eventually become Cheyenne.

In the Traveler universe, there are still Trainers that like to breed, but it is unknown if the protagonist of Usurping will be one of them. It's also worth knowing that while Cheyenne had children in the original draft of the story, it is unknown if she still will here. As for the new protagonist of Usurping, her life is a bit more hectic. It's also revealed later that she is infertile or otherwise would have a difficult time carrying children of her own, so making her Pokémon breed is not a priority for her. Other Trainers are mentioned breeding Pokémon, or training the children of one they know, however.

But there's a bit more to the story.

Gracie decides she wants to give the Egg to the trainer now, and hears he is in the area. It's the last thing she does before drifting off to sleep in the hospital. When she awakens, someone turns the light in her hospital room on, and the others appear with grave expressions on their faces. Gracie asks why do they still have the Egg, and Miranda replies the Trainer didn't want it. Gracie asks, "What? What you mean?" Professor Ivy states that the Trainer used a device to check the attributes of the Pokémon inside the Egg, and decided that the Pokémon would not be up to his standards. So he rejected it. Whitney clenches her fist, saying, "After all that hard work Gracie did for him? That's not fair!" Gracie feels her face falling. She asks if the mother is at least all right, and the serious looks never fade. Miranda closes her eyes and states, "He released her." Gracie's eyes go wide, and she finds herself unable to speak.

Another person says that this is what his brother does, and he is not surprised by what happened. Gracie does not recognize this other person, and she learns his name is Reggie. Reggie explains that the Trainer that Gracie was carrying the Egg for it is named Paul, and that Paul is his younger brother. Reggie explains that Paul only cares for the strongest Pokémon that can win the most, and releases or otherwise ignores those who do not live up to his high standards. Whitney believes that's horrible, and Reggie says that unfortunately Paul is not alone in that sentiment.

Reggie goes on to elaborate that Paul is what is known as a competitive battler. They are Trainers that dedicate their entire lives to battling, with some even earning degrees from prestigious schools. What these competitive Trainers sometimes do is they will breed Pokémon almost endlessly, relentlessly pursuing the perfect Pokémon. If they find one that doesn't meet the standards, they will release it without a second thought. The result is many Pokémon, even babies, sent out the wild to unknown fates (including death).

Gracie thinks she's going to be sick, and Miranda mentions that some Trainers have taken to using illegal equipment to get their Pokémon. The League has tried to curb both behaviors, but the Trainers are very good at covering their tracks. So they can't really do much. Reggie, upon seeing Gracie's sick face, states that not all Trainers are like that. There are some Pokémon that are breeders that are treated like queens, and some Trainers, even the ones who have to release their Pokémon, care for them all. The League tried to take actions too, making some aspects of competitive battling easier to access for regular Trainers, so they would not have to breed endlessly. There's even a system where Trainers can gift Pokémon to other ones in exchange for a small amount of money, so many Trainers use it rather than release.

Reggie states he would know because he used to be a competitive battler before he found his true calling in breeding. He realized he was more about caring for Pokémon than battling, and thus became a breeder. His brother Paul felt that Pokémon should be only used for battling and strength, so he left on his own path. Reggie's eyes close, and he thinks with the way Paul treats his Pokémon, he is surprised Paul has not been arrested for Pokémon abuse. Miranda assures him if he laid an abusive finger on any Pokémon, she would have him in jail immediately. Reggie doesn't seem convinced, and Gracie thinks she can't imagine how he's feeling.

Gracie is then drawn to Zuki, who states that as a breeder, Reggie can take care of the Egg. Reggie shakes his head, thinking that since Gracie is the one that birthed it, she should decide where the Egg ends up. Gracie closes her eyes, wondering what to do. She then then remembers Professor Pine, and thinking that she would be happy studying such a rare and powerful Pokémon. Gracie tells the others, who approve of her proposition. Reggie says he's still an option if Professor Pine decides not to keep the egg. However, Professor Pine does decide to keep the egg, echoing Gracie's sentiments and promising to let her see the child.

Gracie probably gets to care for the Pokémon through some form of psychic power, and when the Egg hatches, she names the Pokémon Alice. Alice is set to be a major character in Usurping and some of the companion stories. However, originally she had really no back story other than being at Professor Pine's lab for a long time and not getting picked by any Trainer. However, now she has a full back story and is connected to some of the other characters.

The reason Paul was chosen for the scene was because of how he is treated in the Pokémon media. Paul is effectively a pretty nasty deconstruction (well, as nasty as the anime gets) of competitive battling if someone tried to do in the Pokémon world what competitive battlers do in the games. It's worth noting that in the generation Paul was introduced, competitive battling really began to take off in Pokémon. So there existed a clear divide between competitive and casual that still remains today. Casual battlers would sometimes state that competitive battlers didn't care for any Pokémon other than those that fit unrealistic standards, while competitive players accused casuals of not really knowing how the game works. Therefore, some of the sentiments that Paul has are unfortunately shared by some competitive battlers, although just like in the story, not everyone feels that way. The things Reggie mentions as the League trying to curb the conflict are actual measures introduced in the games to make competitive battling more accessible.

It's worth noting that although Paul gets called out many other characters, he doesn't get any consequence or really change that much throughout the course of his story. What change he does have almost seems out of nowhere, and it feels rather awkward after the reputation he built up before that. So Traveler doesn't have that change happen, and Paul does receive consequences. However, the details probably won't be seen in Gracie's story, instead being showcased in Mold Breaker. There is also another character who gets into competitive battling with disastrous results, but that character has found a way to avoid consequences, and make others hurt even more… This character will probably not be seen in Gracie's story, but plays a part in all the others.

The rest of Goldenrod is fairly lighthearted, with Whitney inviting Gracie back to help with the Pokémon around the Gym, and the two having a friendly battle before she moves on. She may also help with other areas, like the notorious Underground. And Gracie will probably get a haircut, with Whitney mentioning there are areas in other regions that will style Pokémon's hair to things one could never think of. Gracie is eager to visit these areas, and Zuki thinks that one day, she will.

So back to the gameplay.

After a few more battles, I arrive in Goldenrod.

There's quite a lot to do here, including getting the radio card. This is required before entering the Gym. However, I will probably skip this scene in Gracie's story, because Gracie already has access to a radio. On top of that, the arc with the Radio Tower in the late game does not happen the same way in Traveler. As for why, I will explain later, but for now, I just get the card and go.

Next place is the department store. Unlike its counterpart in Celadon, there are things Gracie can use. I quickly buy her two TMs. One is for Hyper Beam and the other is for Focus Blast. Both are powerful moves that have drawbacks. However, I'm eager to teach them to Gracie now. The rest of my money is spent on Lemonade, so I'm now broke, but it's well worth the purchase.

Next is the Underground, and the place is home to Trainer battles. Luckily, the Trainers are not too powerful, and I get to test out Gracie's new moves.

She also learned another one, Magical Leaf. This move never misses, and is Grass Type. It is also the only non-Psychic move Gracie learns via level up. I quickly have it replace Wish, since I have other means of healing.

Finally, there's the main attraction, the Gym.

The Gym uses Normal Type Pokémon, and doesn't have any major traps. Focus Blast being right next to it is helpful, but that move is inaccurate, and can only be learned by few.

So instead, I take my chances with normal attacks.

Luckily, there's not many chances to take.

The real fight is with Whitney herself.

When he is known as one of the toughest Gym Leaders in the series, and for good reason. She has access to move called Metronome, which can allow her Pokémon to use any move in the game. This include moves that the player has no way of countering at this point.

However, the main problem is a Pokémon called Miltank.

Miltank has very good stats, and an excellent move set. The worst move it has is called Rollout, something which increases in power over five turns, returning to normal if it misses. To make matters worse, Rollout is of the Rock Type, which makes it difficult to counter at this point. Miltank's other moves include Attract, which prevents Pokémon from attacking back if they are the opposite gender, Stomp, which does a lot of damage and can make slower opponents miss their turn, and Milk Drink, something which heals up to half of Miltank's maximum HP. The remakes made this Pokémon even more formidable by giving it the ability to heal any status problem once without losing a turn, and giving it the ability to hit Ghost type Pokémon with any of its moves.

And this is only the third Badge in the game…

Strangely enough, Whitney is depicted as a bit of a loser and very weak in most Pokémon media. However, this contrasts with her abilities in the games, where she is depicted as strong, and implied to simply not be used to losing. Hence why I made her tougher in this series, although I have a neutral opinion on her otherwise. Whitney is also noted for being one of two Trainers that does not directly hand the player the badge after losing. Instead, the player must try to leave, talk to one of the other Trainers, and then talk to Whitney again. I remember how confused I was the first time I did this part, because the game doesn't give any hint that that's what the player is supposed to do…

I also remember the many, many, Pokémon that fell to Whitney's.

Time to get my revenge.

And I do that with a double Focus Blast.

Revenge is sweet.

And so is progress.

I wonder how I'm going to write this… I didn't expect the battle to be that easy... Perhaps Gracie has trouble learning Focus Blast, and perfects it during her fight with Whitney…

Since the gameplay version of Goldenrod is so short, I'm going to continue on.

It's worth noting that there is a side quest with a Spearow in the gate, but this is a solo run, so I'm not going to do it here. It typically rewards a TM if the player completes it, but said TM is nothing Gracie can use.

The route north of Goldenrod is still pretty easy, but Gracie tries to learn Calm Mind.

However, I don't let her learn it this time, because her offensive moves are very powerful.

Now I had north to the National Park.

And today's a Saturday.

This means there is an event going on.

The Bug Catching contest.

The Bug Catching contest allows the player to catch one Bug Pokémon using one Pokémon currently in their party. Each Pokémon is worth a certain amount of points, and the game also takes into account how healthy the Pokémon when it is captured. Getting first place in the contest can result in several good items, such as evolution stones. It also is the only place to catch some of the best Bug Pokémon in the game.

But I won't be using it this run.

I could see it being relevant to the story though. Gracie decides to participate, and Prof. Ivy observes her trying to catch bugs… Hilarious…

Instead I head to the east.

Where Gracie observes the Pokéathlon. This place is exclusive to the remakes, and hosts a bunch of new mini games involving athleticism. This is also where Apricorns can be used to make Pokémon stronger at certain categories or weaker in others. Each Pokémon is strong or weak at certain categories, and they may not necessarily reflect the Pokémon's battle stats. In a particularly famous example, Sunkern is considered one of the worst Pokémon in the game battle wise, but has some of the best stats for the Pokéaltheon. Pokémon group in teams of three to participate in the games. Furthermore, the player can win some very good items depending on the day, including some that are found nowhere else.

Except not only will I not be using at this run, but I also typically have trouble with it. Almost all of the events use the touchscreen, which I have difficulty using. Therefore, I tend to place rather badly…

Anyway, Professor Ivy encourages Gracie to try. Gracie states she doesn't have a team, and Professor Ivy replied she will lend her two of her Pokémon. Gracie does fairly well, although not enough to break any records. Whitney is surprised, coming over and explaining to Gracie that she takes part in the events. Falkner does too, and Whitney has heard is going to be out of the hospital soon. Gracie must think the audience must find it odd that a Pokémon is commanding a team, but Whitney says this not is the first time.

There was a Trainer that had Pokémon direct everything, and that Gracie wonders who it is. Whitney responds it was the Mold Breaker, and it was the first time anyone had ever seen that. She continues to say, "I guess that Trainer is not called the Mold Breaker for nothing". Gracie wonders why the Trainer would do that. Whitney responds that the Mold Breaker apparently couldn't see what was happening, but the Pokémon could. She elaborates that the Trainer wasn't blind or anything, but there was something wrong with her eyes that no one could fix. Gracie finds the whole thing odd, but keeps moving.

Anyway, onto the National Park. There are some good items here, along with some Trainers. The music is beautiful as well.

The next part is nothing special, except for one thing.

An event encounter with a Sudowoodo.

Sudowoodo is a Pokémon, and it's blocking the road. The players simply has to sprinkle water on it, with the item for that being obtained after beating Whitney. Sudowoodo is a decent Pokémon, and the only one of its species in the game. However, I'm not catching it this run, so it's quickly taken out by Magical Leaf. I wonder how this will be written. Perhaps Professor Ivy decides to study Sudowoodo, and has Gracie battle it. It's worth noting that Professor Ivy realizes she has to leave after Gracie reaches the next city, because she's going to meet up with a friend there. Gracie is fine with this, and Professor Ivy wonders if she enjoys the silence. Gracie shakes her head, saying that Professor Ivy has been a good companion.

A bit more north, and I will have reached the city.

There is an annoying Clefable and Wigglytuff double battle that makes Gracie use all her Power Points for Focus Blast. Also uses Metronome, but other than that, nothing much.

At last I reach Ecruteak, where Professor Ivy and Gracie part ways.

But I will save the rest for next time, because Ecruteak is both story and gameplay heavy.

And it also marks the latter half of the game.

Hard to believe that the second arc has come so far…

But it's been an interesting ride.

And one that I hope continues to be interesting.


	16. Ghostly Regrets

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **16: Ghostly Regrets**

 **Day 15 (February 25, 2018): Johto**

And back with another round! Probably the last before uploading, but we will see. Johto's fairly short, and I have a bit more time this coming week. So, I may just finish it all and upload it all at once. Also worth noting that the badges from this point out are fairly close together, so it should be easy for me to get more than one in an update.

Ecruteak is fairly story heavy though, so I will probably do it all after the city itself is cleared.

Anyway, onto something that affects this story at large.

There has been a villain change. Originally, there was going to be a canon group that is already hinted at in one of the companion stories. This group will be discussed in detail later on in the runs. This group catches wind of Gracie, and is realizing she's starting to uncover what is really going on. They try to depower her time after time, but to no avail. In the end, the group tries to kill her, and almost succeeds. Luckily, Gracie barely survives.

Now, the story has changed a bit.

The main villain in Gracie's story is now not a canon group, but an OC. This OC burst onto the scene around the middle of Mold Breaker. She is actually the over arcing villain in the entire series, but most readers probably don't know that until much later (unless they've been paying careful attention to all the hints throughout current stories and supplementary materials). The characters find out even later than that, and even when they do find out, many are confused. This character has a lot of knowledge of things at large, because of what happens to her. She would most certainly know that Gracie is far too knowledgeable from the very beginning. The OC also doesn't try to keep her powers very secret, having tried that approach once and failing.

Furthermore, she's one of two people that could have control over the mysterious light at this time. The other is the canon group, but they choose not to bring the light over from their homeland, mainly because they want to keep themselves a secret and are afraid they would attract attention. Furthermore, the thing generating the light could be defeated, and the group controlling it will lose great power if that happens. In the case of the OC, she's found a way to make it so the light _can't_ be defeated, having obtained it in one of her own stories without anyone else's knowledge. The only way the light that's with her can be destroyed is if she herself is defeated, but at the time she appears, she can't be.

Furthermore, the canon group is implied not to leave their homeland and enter the regions until recently, so they wouldn't know about things that early unless they were traveling around a lot. And Gracie would only know about them if she visited their homeland. However, this homeland cannot be visited until the near the end of the runs. It's still unknown if Gracie will visit these areas, since what visits the player does do are fairly short. The OC, on the other hand, has been traveling almost since the beginning, and instinctively knows what the others are doing. So she would be relevant almost immediately. Furthermore, her homeland is not visited at all during Gracie's story, but at that time, it hardly matters. Not to say that Gracie wouldn't visit this homeland later on…

Another thing is motivations. The canon group is trying to save the world in an extreme way, targeting a specific character, in hopes of completing the goal. Once that character is destroyed, they have no more reason to remain. So while Gracie could be an annoyance to them, they're not really focused on her. She's not yet connected with the targeted character. Even after, the canon group is still not focused on her.

The OC, on the other hand, is a different story.

The OC is also after the targeted character, but for her own reasons and with a different end goal in mind. To that end, she'll destroy anyone who may be connected with the targeted character or who give her information about what's going on (since the targeted character will then be able to resist her). And she shown to be an extremist, willing to do anything to accomplish her goals, no matter who she hurts in the process, or what sacrifices she has to make. So something like destroying everything around her if it will forward her own goals is not that far-fetched. She's also shown to be a master manipulator, so her manipulating every villain group to be part of her master plan until she has no opposition (and then disposing of them afterward so she still doesn't have any) is extremely believable. And she's incredibly strategic, so when she realizes that some of her plans don't work, she switches to other ones effortlessly.

Having her diabolically manipulate all the villains, as well as to a lesser extent, the protagonists (or rather, taking advantage of their actions because she knows what's going to happen)… That's going to be fun to write… Perhaps it can be written at the end, in the Ultra Moon postgame…

One of the final factors is also power.

The canon group is mentioned to be not all that powerful, mainly because they are foreigners and typically don't battle. They're more powerful here, but not by much. And by the time Mold Breaker begins, they have not picked up on the art of battling (well, one of them has, but she's no longer with them). This OC is a powerful character from the start, and only becomes more powerful as the time goes on. Even when it looks like she will lose her power, she gains all back and then some.

So she makes a much better over arcing villain for the story, even if she does not appear to be at first.

That type of character would be the one to easily target Gracie, especially without anyone else knowing.

So she becomes the main villain instead, although she's never revealed as such within Angel. I might reveal her here though, but I will see.

For now, gameplay awaits.

First order of business is meeting Bill. He speaks to the nurse at the Pokémon Center, and then leaves. If I follow him back to Goldenrod, I will receive an Eevee. Since this is a solo run, I'm not doing this event. It also noting in the original games, speaking to Bill would enable trading with the older ones the day after. Since trading with older games is different to the remakes, this event was removed. As far as the event in Gracie's story goes, it's still not too important, other than Professor Ivy leaving. So it might just be small talk.

Anyway, on to the next event, the dance theater.

This was one of the major changes in the remakes versus the original games. In the original games, the player could fight five dancers (Kimono Girls) with their Eevee evolutions. They could then get the HM move Surf, and that would be the end of it. However, the above event has been moved to much later, and the players instead fight a lone Rocket Grunt that's made his way up onto the stage. Obviously, the Kimono Girls play a much bigger role in the remakes, and Surf can still be gotten here. The over arcing story of the Traveler series is based off of the scenario in the remakes, including what happens during Gracie's.

So I beat up the Rocket Grunt and get Surf, but there is still much more to do.

Such as the Burned Tower.

The Burned Tower was always one of my favorite areas, for many reasons. One of which is the lore. It was always one of the darker areas, with mention of Pokémon actually dying in the games. And the fact that it's still standing and dilapidated makes even creepier… Not to mention a lot of Pokémon roaming around are ghosts… Plus, it's where, from Crystal onward, one can meet two of my favorite characters; Morty and Eusine. More on those two later on. On another note, I love the music here…

Interestingly enough, the Burned Tower was supposed be even creepier… In original drafts of the game, there was supposed be a little girl that got lost in the Burned Tower. It's unknown what happened to her, but what is left over of the event implies she died. The player can try to battle her by hacking and triggering that event, but there is no text and the battle malfunctions. People were able to realize that the girl died in the Burned Tower because the Burned Tower music will play when she is spoken to, and she has a white face when no one else does. It's also worth noting that in the original story, Ecruteak was supposed to have a pharmacy, and someone would need to get medicine. This event was instead moved to a city later on. In the Traveler series, both of these events will be restored.

Also knowing that the Burned Tower itself has had a slight change from the original incarnation. In the original incarnation, the three legendary Pokémon of Johto were down here, but there were no hints that they were. In the remakes, the three Pokémon can be seen almost immediately when the player enters the tower, but no one knows how to get them out of where they are, or if they even _want_ to leave. They do run away when anyone approaches, but no one knows why.

Anyway, time to explore.

And head straight into a fight with Silver. Luckily, it's pretty easy.

Now for the rest of the Tower.

There is just fighting a few Trainers, heading down to the bottom, and seeing the beasts.

And this would be the beginning of one the most hated mechanics in Pokémon. The beasts are roaming legends. These Pokémon could appear anywhere on the map, and would run on the first turn. They often had mechanics for getting around means of trapping them battle, ranging from abilities to certain moves. They were also incredibly powerful, and could often be found nowhere else. Despite being universally despised, this mechanic persisted until the remakes of the Hoenn games. These games finally took out the roaming mechanics, in favor of making legendaries stationary, but also much more difficult to find. If I encounter any roaming legendaries here, I will not try to catch them. Also worth noting that Suicune has an arc of its own in both the original Crystal and the remakes. In the remakes, however, this arc is scattered throughout the game, when it originally concluded in the first half. In Traveler, this arc is already concluded, although there may be a few references to it.

Anyway, on to the Gym.

Despite Morty's Gym being home to Ghost Type users, all of the Pokémon are part Poison. So psychics will have an easy time. Oddly enough, this is the first Pokémon generation that introduced a pure Ghost type, but no one uses it, even in the remakes. There is no explanation as to why, either…

Anyway, Morty's Gym had one of the more annoying traps in the series. The floor is completely dark, and there is an invisible path. However the game doesn't give you any hints on where to go, other than a vague one about halfway through. So it's very easy to fall again and again with no clue on how to proceed… I think this is around the time I got a guide, because I got so stuck on this Gym…

That might be why the Gym was redesigned in the remakes. The path is still there, but it's no longer pitch black and invisible. Instead, it's a lot easier to see. There's also light from the Trainers, but that light extinguishes every time one is fought. Still pretty easy to see the path, however…

I'm more concerned about the game crashing, since Morty's Gym is infamous for files crashing if they are not on native systems… Fitting, considering his name means death…

I defeat the Trainers easily enough, although I do fall off the path a few times. Luckily, the light level resets if the player falls, so that helps. I would talk about Morty now, but for now I just want to see if the game will get past him…

And it seems I have nothing to fear, pardon the pun. The battle goes just fine.

Poor Morty's Pokémon don't even get much of a chance to attack, since Gracie's Confusion is effective against all of them. Morty and his underlings use a move called Sucker Punch. This move strikes before the opponent, doing physical Dark damage assuming the opponent was about to attack. If they weren't, the attack fails. A few people use this move in the Gym, but given that most Ghost Pokémon don't have physical attack, it doesn't do much damage. Worth noting that Sucker Punch is one of the best moves in the competitive Pokémon world, mainly because it discourages opponents from casually throwing out attacks…

May as will talk about Morty himself now. Gameplay wise, his fight has always been fairly difficult. The main reason is that Gengar is fairly fast, and the one Psychic Pokémon the player is likely to have (Kadabra, although if the player does a lot of side questing, they can also have Espeon at this point) was fairly frail and Gengar could easily outspeed it. Also, Morty had access to a bunch of status moves, and was not afraid to use them. The only saving grace was that the ghosts' attacks were often physical, and that was their weaker stat. Also worth noting that Dark Types were not an option at this point (unless the player was willing to overlevel Eevee, in which case they had already won). Normal types could have Dark Type moves, but Morty has the move sets to counter that. Furthermore, the only saving grace is gone in the remakes, when Shadow Ball, Morty's main move, was changed to Special.

So, I mentioned that this guy's name is similar to death. This is well-earned.

With that out the way, let me analyze his character.

I really like Morty, and one of my favorite of the Ghost Type users (absolute favorite is Phoebe, but I will get to her later). Mainly, the reason I like him is that he's the only one that's not off-the-wall, or otherwise presented as creepy (other than Phoebe, but that depends on who one asks). He's also an interesting character, with a lot of lore, such as the legends, surrounding him. Morty is unique in that his ability is not really to talk with ghosts, but to see the future. It's interesting because that ability is often associated with psychics, but I could see it being associated with ghosts as well (meaning, the spirits tell him things, and he helps people with the information). He's also very calm and kind, seen in both Pokémon Special and the anime. This is a trait only really shared with Phoebe. Not to mention the anime and the manga do a great job of expanding on his personality without changing it (e.g. showing that he likes to teach students, actually does use his future telling abilities to help the protagonists several times, and he also has a knack for finding items).

It's no wonder that he also has a massive role in the Traveler series.

But there's another person whose role is expanded.

And that person is Eusine.

In the original games, he was merely someone searching for Suicune by all means necessary. His past was not known, other than the fact that he was friends with Morty. When he's finally fought, he was called the Mystery Man, and is fairly competent in battle. However, he knew when to step down, eventually yielding to the player when they are chosen by Suicune. The remakes added to his character and motivations, and they did a very good job of it.

But most works treat Eusine like a crazy person, if not making him downright villainous.

Not here.

I was neutral on Eusine until the remakes, and felt like his character of chasing after a legendary Pokémon was not all that different from something the player would do. In many of the later games, they were _required_ to do something like this. The remakes gave him interesting motivations, making his character a lot more believable. So I had a bit more favorable opinion on him later on.

This carries over into Ecruteak and Gracie's story.

Gracie leaves Professor Ivy with Bill, and is unsure what to do next.

Although of a sudden, she hears someone call her name happily. She looks over to see Phoebe waving her over with a smile on her face. Gracie sees her standing with Morty, one of the Kimono Girls, and Eusine, although she doesn't recognize them. Gracie heads over and Phoebe says, "So good to see you! You look well!" Her eyes darken a bit, and she states "I heard about what happened. I came to the region, but it was too late to help. I'm sorry about that." Gracie shakes her head, saying "No, it's fine. And Alice is doing well. Professor Pine will take care of her." Phoebe suddenly clenches her fist. That trainer, Paul, he's been giving the League trouble for as long as anyone can remember. If I had my way, I…"

She suddenly stops herself, looking back at the other perplexed members of the group. Gracie's shudders, realizing that Phoebe is usually docile. As a Ghost Pokémon expert, Gracie is not totally sure what Phoebe would do, but also isn't sure if she wants to know.

One person states. "I'm sorry, but did you forget about the rest of us?" Phoebe suddenly snaps her head up, replying. "Oh, apologies… Gracie, this is Morty, the Gym Leader here, and his companion is Eusine, the Champion of Johto." Before Gracie can react, the other person, the female, states "You probably know who I am, seeing as you've met two of my sisters. I'm one of the Kimono Girls, and my name is Miki. Zuki was worried about you, but it seems you're okay now." Gracie thinks that of course she would be worried, considering what happened.

Gracie asks what everyone is doing here, jokingly thinking that this must be some party. Eusine sarcastically replies that is, but not the fun birthday kind. Morty elbows him, muttering something about the last time his sarcasm got him into trouble. Eusine shakes his head, and Morty continues. "There are restless spirits in the Burned Tower, and I'm growing concerned. As a Ghost Type user and Leader here, it is my responsibility to help the spirits pass on. The spirits here tend to be powerful, so I called on Phoebe and Miki for assistance."

Eusine quickly adds. "I decided I would come along too. I may be the Champion now, but I would never miss a chance to help an old friend." Gracie nods, asking where the Burned Tower is. Phoebe gesture that it's right over there, and Gracie can't help swallowing hard. The dilapidated tower looks uninviting, but she supposes if she has to protect someone, she will go.

Gracie and the others search the Tower, but while they feel a spirit's presence faintly, there appears to be no one there. Gracie wonders if the whole thing was a waste, and Morty assures her that something spirits are quiet about their intentions. Eusine wonders if the spirit is scared about the amount of people, and if they should split up. Morty says that's a bad idea, because they don't know how powerful the spirit is, and it probably knows they are on to them. Miki agrees, rapidly heading down to the lower floors. Having nowhere to go and feeling safer around a Kimono Girl, Gracie follows.

The Kimono Girl and Gracie reach the center of the bottom area, and Miki tells Gracie about the legend of the three beasts that used to live in this place. She adds that there are others of their kind, roaming the world, but none have been seen back here. Before Gracie can respond, she feels a chill on her body. All of a sudden, the air grows cold and dark, but Gracie still thinks she sees a faint glow. A mist also appears, but try as she might, Gracie can't see through it. Gracie suddenly becomes terrified, wondering if she will become possessed again. She feels her stomach lurch, and tries to vomit, but nothing comes out. Her entire body suddenly locks in place, and Gracie wonders whatever the spirit is trying to do, it can't be good. Gracie wonders if this is the same one from Lavender, but thinks she doesn't hear a creepy laugh. She tries to speak to Miki, but realizes she can't.

Miki seems to hear anyway, because the Kimono Girl calls for Phoebe and the others. Gracie is comforted hear Morty and Phoebe's voices, as they try to speak to the spirit. She hears questions like "Why do you not pass on?", and "What are your intentions?", and even "who are you?". However, the spirit refuses to answer any of those, instead continuing to hurt Gracie. Gracie lets out a yelp, but doesn't think the spirit is going to do damage. Suddenly, she hears Phoebe's voice shouts angrily. "That's the way you're going to play, huh? Well, then I've got no choice!" She is about to attack when the spirit suddenly screeches, and flies away. Gracie sees an image of a girl, but can't detect anything.

She let out a deep breath as Phoebe rushes to her side. She yells to Gracie if she is all right, and Gracie responds she is. She is shocked to find out she is not hurt, and Phoebe thinks that the spirit just wanted to scare her. Gracie wonders why this is, also wondering if this really is the same spirit from Lavender that possessed her before. Phoebe shakes her head, replying that this isn't. She explains that all ghosts have a sort of energy, and that the spirit that possessed her had a different energy than the one that just appeared now. Phoebe concludes that the energy was stronger and sinister. She grits her teeth, wondering what that means.

Morty runs up and asks if everything was all right. Phoebe nods, although she says the spirit has run off. Morty replies that that is troubling, and asks if he heard correctly that Gracie had been possessed before. Gracie nods miserably, and relates what happened in Lavender. Morty's eyes soften, and he thinks he and Phoebe can help her to ensure that there is a lesser chance of it happening again. He invites her to come to the Gym, where he can train her. Grace is a bit hesitant, but accepts the offer.

Before she can continue, however, the group is alerted to more commotion outside. Eusine runs in, flustered, saying there are more spirits outside. Morty is surprised, wondering what's happening now. Phoebe asks Gracie if she's ready for battle, if it comes to that, and Gracie states she is. They head out and Gracie sees that there are more spirits, just as eerie the one before. They all look similar, wearing the outfits of Team Rocket.

Gracie can see a man is the leader, but it's no one that she recognizes. She thinks she can hear their voices, and that they keep looking for someone and repeating that she killed them. Gracie wonders what they're going on about, but Phoebe says there's no question the spirits are hostile and trying to hurt all the civilians they can. She casts a magic spell on them so that their attacks can hit the spirits, and says they have no choice but to fight. Gracie goes face-to-face with their leader, but ends up injured. However, the spirits still are driven back. Unfortunately, there are a lot of casualties, and the ghosts swear they will be back for revenge.

Gracie is exhausted, and Miki wants to take her to the Pokémon Center. Morty says not to, because the Center is full of injured people and their Pokémon. There will be no room for Gracie, status or no. He says that there's a spare guestroom in his house that Gracie can use for the night, and he knows enough about healing to help her. The others agree this is a good idea, and Morty takes Gracie there. Gracie mutters something about the Mold Breaker, wondering why she didn't come back. Morty tenses, and Miki says Gracie most definitely must come with Morty. Morty nods, telling Gracie to rest, and when she wakes up, she will learn of the truth.

Gracie drifts in and out of consciousness, but Morty occasionally wakes her up to give her medicine. Gracie finds the medicine is difficult to swallow, and Morty simply says it's good for her. At one point he mentions that is a pharmacy in the city, but it pales in comparison to Cianwood. It is unknown if Gracie registers this, as she is still ill.

Eventually, she wakes up completely, and Morty looks relieved. He states as much, and Gracie asked, "Who were those people back there? Obviously, they were connected to Team Rocket…" Morty's eyes grow serious, and he states that they were the spirits of Team Rocket Grunts that died some years ago. And that man you fought was their leader, Archer. Up until that time, he was the leader of the Team Rocket forces here. I think someone else's running it now, but I haven't seen them yet." Gracie clenches her fist, thinking who would care about such horrible people. Morty replies. "Criminals or not, it is the duty of the Ghost Type Trainers to help spirits move on. Their afterlife might be a hell on earth, but it's not our place to judge. We simply make the spirits take the next step. But these Rockets… They've always been restless and causing trouble… Perhaps, they are after the one who killed them, but they're not having much success."

Gracie's eyes go wide as she wonders who killed them. Morty coldly replies. "I don't know, but I have some of an idea." Gracie asks incredulously "who?" In response, Morty walks up and gets a picture. It shows him with a few kids, and what appears to be his wife. However, Gracie is confused, realizing that one of the children must be adopted or maybe a friend. But then she wonders how Morty's family has to do with her journey. Gracie correctly deduces that most of the people there are Morty's wife and children, and Morty smiles fondly. However, Gracie points to the mismatched child, stating "Who's that?" Morty calmly replies. "Oh, Kristine? She's a Trainer skilled with the Ghost Types, and her father is never around much. I took her under my wing when she was younger, and she quickly became like one of the family. Kristine was a bit nervous when she finally started Pokémon journey, so I took a family picture right before she left. It's been a few years now, but she keeps in contact when she can."

Gracie states dreamily. "Skilled with Ghost types… Like you, Phoebe, and the Mold Breaker…" Morty's eyes darken, and he solemnly states. "Yes, I suppose you would know Kristine by that name."

Gracie's eyes widen. "Kristine? That is the Mold Breaker's real name?" Morty replies. "That it is. She usually uses Kris, and only reveals her only to those who are close to her. I think she got tired of everyone it messing up. I'm assuming that she uses the name Mold Breaker for the same reason." He shakes his head. "Honestly, I never believed in all that Mold Breaker moniker. To me, Kristine is just a little girl, filled with an intense fear."

Gracie cocked her head, stating "Fear?" Morty nods seriously. "Most people know that Kristine is one of the most powerful supernatural users ever seen, past, present, or future. But what most people don't know is that Kristine also has a condition that gives her an intense fear, and this fear creates a mental blockage. As a result, she can't actually use the power she has at her disposal." Gracie replies. "But then, how does the world know her as a supernatural power user?" Morty responds. "Occasionally, bits of power will come through, and others will see it. Furthermore, Kristine found a way to have Pokémon use their powers inside her body and make it look as though she's using magic. Hardly anyone can tell the difference."

Gracie is confused, wondering why Morty is suddenly talking so much. She replies "And why are you telling me all this? What does this have to do with Archer?" Morty's eyes become even more serious, and Gracie trembles. "Because I believe Kristine killed him, and all those Rockets that were here today." Gracie's mouth hangs open. "But she can't be so famous as a fighter for justice if she does that. And maybe she had good intentions…" Morty shakes his head. "I don't think so. I think it was because of her fear. An intense fear that overpowered her, that made her think Archer was going to continue to commit crimes unless killed, didn't allow her to realize the consequences of her actions." He grits his teeth, and Gracie can't imagine how he feels.

"Haven't you spoken to her about it?" Morty replies. "I tried. She has neither confirmed nor deny the rumors, and there was no official proof that she did it. I just remember there was a Team Rocket raid a few years ago on one of Goldenrod's major buildings, and Archer was in command. Police had surrounded the building, and were going to step in. All of a sudden, the building inexplicably went up in flames, killing everyone within. Luckily, the police had brought water Pokémon and were able to save some things, but a lot of property was destroyed that day. It took them a long time to rebuild the place. For weeks, I and the other ghost trainers were summoned there, in hopes that we could cleanse the area of any lingering spirits. We didn't always succeed though, and many more civilians were injured by malevolent attacks. It took a quite a while before the building was safe, and sometimes people will still recount what happened."

Gracie responds, although she is still in shock. "If everyone in the building died, how did the Mold Breaker, no, Kristine, escape?" Morty grimly replies. "Ghost Pokémon have the ability to move from place to place quickly. You've probably seen it. One of Kristine's favorite things to do is to slink into the shadows and appear somewhere else. When someone does that, they can leave a place in seconds, with no trace behind." Gracie shudders, remembering the escaping rebels at Saffron. She flinches, wondering how someone like the Mold Breaker could use a trick so dirty.

Gracie continues, saying. "And couldn't police prosecute her then?" Morty replies. "Like I said, they didn't have enough proof. No one even knew she was at the scene, and her abilities allowed her to leave no trace. Even if the authorities did have enough proof to prosecute her, they probably wouldn't. Kristine is famous, and could easily use her status to get out of any punishment. Furthermore, she's working as a vigilante. It's something common for Trainers. As long as they take down criminals, the police forces don't go after vigilantes regardless of how ruthless as they are. With the amount of criminals on the loose, the police forces will take anyone that's willing to help."

Gracie continues to press Morty. "Then how do you know was her?" Morty responds. "I don't. There were rumors that she was in the area, but no one saw anything. Goldenrod is one of Kristine's favorite places, and she is well known for her rage against Team Rocket. Since no one had seen Kristine in Goldenrod, no one could confirm she was there at the time of the crime. I'm assuming she used her shadows get into the city as well, but as usual, she left no trace."

Gracie sits there, eyes wide. She thinks she can't imagine the Mold Breaker being like this, and asks Morty why he's telling her this. He replies, "Because I want you to be careful. Even with the tales of grandeur, Kristine isn't what she appears to be. I don't know how she'll react to you, or anyone else, anymore." Gracie shudders. She remembers details about the unpredictability and ruthlessness the Mold Breaker displays, and wonders if those stories are true too. "And another thing." Morty gravely states. "I'm a seer, and I had a vision. It wasn't very clear, but I believe you will be the one to help rescue her from what she has become." Gracie reponds, trembling. "Rescue her? From what?" Morty shakes his head. "I don't know. This is the information that the spirit world has chosen to share with me." Gracie feels her stomach churn, and she thinks she's going to be sick. She wonders if everything she's seen so far is related to the Mold Breaker, and what it means for the future.

It's worth noting that this entire event that Morty talks about, minus Gracie and some of the details that weren't yet thought out, was originally going to be shown in full during Safety. It was going to be part of a major theme, where Tulip questions the idea of bringing safety at the expense of someone else's. Due to Kristine's past not being completely created at the time, this event and the theme behind it was scrapped to be put into Mold Breaker. It's worth noting that this is one of the few events that is unchanged between Holly Rising's timeline and Usurping's. However, the conversation only takes place in Usurping's timeline.

Morty notices Gracie's grim face, and decides to change the topic to something more light-hearted. He asks if Gracie would mind learning how to combat ghosts. Gracie is excited, and Morty says it is the least he can do after Gracie helped out with those spirits before. Gracie wonders if she'll figure out how to talk to the dead, or resist ghost Type attacks more than others of her kind would. She enthusiastically says yes, but Morty gently tells her it's nothing that exotic. Nevertheless, she agrees to meet him in his Gym.

Phoebe is there too, and Gracie wants to start right now. However, Phoebe shakes her head and tells her she has to wait until she reaches the end. It's the only way to prove herself. Gracie gulps, thinking, _the end._ She can see a long area full of darkness without even the faintest hint of light. It looks as though there is some sort of pathway, but Gracie realizes she can't be sure. She shudders, and Phoebe only nods. "If you want to beat a ghost, you have to act like them." Gracie wonders how she is supposed to act like a ghost when ghosts are dead and she's not. Regardless, despite falling off the path a few times (and being saved by ghostly energy), she makes it to the end. Phoebe and Morty teach her Shadow Ball in exchange, a move that is effective against ghosts. Phoebe cheerfully exclaims that Gracie should have no problem with ghosts now, and if she's going in order, the next town is Olivine. Gracie nods, thanks her for everything, and leaves.

So Olivine is where I will be going next. Not much gameplay here, but a lot of the story is out of the way.

So, the journey continues next update.


	17. Errand Runner

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **17\. Errand Runner**

 **Day 16 (February 26, 2018): Johto**

And after the story heavy Ecruteak, time for some more gameplay!

A bit more story, though.

One is a slight change to Gracie's ending. The original ending was ambiguous on whether or not she was going to be all right for the future, with that question being answered in Usurping. Now it's been changed, so that it's clear she has a happy ending. It's also worth noting that in the original version, she and Kristine did not recognize or really even meet each other. In the new version of the story, they meet near the end, although Kristine still is really know who Gracie is, and Gracie doesn't put a lot of things together (e.g. she still doesn't recognize Kristine as Rosalie's granddaughter in the end). What happens is effectively an effort to make the characters connected.

Another thing is I forgot a bit of story from Ecruteak. Namely, the Rival fight. June is seen looking for valuables or traces of the legendary Pokémon in the tower. She also tries to get whatever she can from it. However, Gracie stops and battles her, slowing her down. As a result, Eusine is able to catch her. He finds her stealing from the tower, and is disgusted. Eusine calls the others, saying that he thinks they found their lost little girl. He then heads out to turn June over to the other authorities. Gracie is not convinced, and heads down with Miki. This is when she meets the actual spirit.

A final one involves the story at large. There is a character, Tulip, that has already been featured in several stories in Traveler. Originally, said character was incredibly passive because of her situation. It takes her a while to become an active character, and this happens near the end. In the new version of the story, she's incredibly active _despite_ her situation. She is also able to appear normal and otherwise participate in daily life. This changes a lot of scenes in the Traveler series. However, it is unlikely Gracie will meet Tulip in Angel, although references to the latter might be made.

Now, onto the gameplay.

First things first, getting Strength.

This is an interesting change from the original games. In the originals, strength is found in a café in the next city, although there is no hint that it's there. In the remakes, one actually has to head to the east, towards Mahogany, a place that's even later on. As soon as they do, a hiker bumps into them and gives them the move. I have no idea why this was changed, but I suspect that it has something to do with Olivine, the next city, being a bit later on in the remakes versus the original games. It still doesn't give any hints in either case though, so it's easy to miss the move without a guide or until one needs it… I may just use the original interpretation though, because Gracie has no reason to go to Mahogany at this time, and frankly, the revised event doesn't make much sense…

Anyway, onward.

Also worth noting that the routes towards Olivine have some of the best music in the games… I remember running back and forth a lot, just to listen to that music… Also, I teach Gracie Shadow Ball here, and she uses it against the Trainers.

Also, time to meet a new person who wasn't present in the original; Baoba. He's a new character, and he starts a side quest that I have mixed feelings about. He's also quirky, but interesting. More on him when that side quest actually starts. For now, I just get his number.

Another side quest comes into play. It's one involving a sick Miltank who is unable to produce any milk. Feeding it lots of berries (around seven) gets rid of the sickness, and then the player has access to Moomoo Milk. In the originals, it's a fairly useless side quest and difficult to do, because the player can only get one of the items per day (meaning, both the berries and the milk). It's much more useful in the remakes, when the player can get as much as they want (again, both berries and milk), and the berries are much easier to find. Since I'm skipping side quests when I can, I won't be doing it this run.

But Gracie probably would. It might be expanded upon though, with something about helping Nurse Joy during the problem. It would foreshadow something in Usurping, and the idea that Gracie knows her way around a few medical issues. She'd have to, in order to survive. It's worth noting that Nurse Joy is a single person in the Traveler series, but she's incredibly high up in the League. She also knows the protagonist of Usurping, because the protagonist has to get clearance from her and the League to reassure the people she was leaving that she was fit enough to journey.

Anyway, down the route I go.

It is not too difficult, and I reach the next city. There's quite a bit to do, but not all of it is accessible now. Silver appears here, berating the Gym Leader for being at the lighthouse taking care of a sick Pokémon. However, he does not attack the player.

This scene is mostly the same in Traveler, except it's June that does this. She adds that the Gym Leader is taking care someone's abandoned Pokémon, and explains that abandoned Pokémon appear all the time. June thinks it's pointless to just be taking care of that one, because there's nothing special about it. Gracie retorts that maybe the Gym Leader's just compassionate, June responds that apparently the Pokémon was some hotshot's, and maybe the Gym Leader just wants some higher standing with the League. She heads off as Gracie remembers what Morty said. Gracie wonders if the Mold Breaker is involved in all of this, and continues.

Anyway, on to the lighthouse.

The lighthouse is a huge dungeon with a lot of Trainers. It can be a bit tricky to traverse, because in order to advance through the dungeon, the player must fall in strategic areas. Luckily, this is only done once, and when the player finds the place, it's easy to remember.

So up I go.

Worth knowing that Gracie learns Psychic here, but other than that, not much happens.

And at the top, Gracie meets Jasmine.

Before I talk more about the gameplay, please pardon me while I rant about how easy it is to miss this event.

The game gives the hint that the player has to go to the lighthouse, but no hints about how to get to the top, or even that they have to get there. So it's very easy for someone to go to the lighthouse, and walk out not knowing what they're supposed to do. To make matters worse, it's possible to miss the place entirely. Making things even more confusing is the badge order. Jasmine's listed as the sixth badge, but there is no hints about where to get the fifth (it's actually across the water in Cianwood, but the game doesn't tell the player that). So it's possible for the player to think they're in the wrong place, when in reality, they need to visit Jasmine, talk to her in the lighthouse, head to Cianwood, obtain an item from another easily missed event, and head back to Jasmine with the new Badge in in order to challenge her for hers…

There's not a lot of hints that this is what the player needs to do… Furthermore, the game doesn't catch up with the player until around Blackthorn (the eighth badge). So it's entirely possible for the player to go through most of the game, and then get stopped with no idea what they're supposed to do, because the hints are incredibly far back… Unfortunately, the remakes didn't do much to make this scenario clearer… It wasn't an issue for me, because I had a guide, but I remember many a confused friend that would get stopped around Blackthorn with no way to proceed because they had missed Jasmine's event and/or the item at Cianwood… I think that was one of the last times the developers did something like that, although a similar scenario happened in Hoenn… That was more because one of the towns was badly placed geographically, but I will rant about that when I get there…

For now, some story.

Gracie gets the top of the lighthouse, where she can hear a Pokémon's faint breathing. There is a woman in the darkness, and she turns. The woman is shocked to see Gracie, and introduces herself as Jasmine. She says that she was caring for the Pokémon around the city, when she found another Pokémon that was weak and sick. She's still helping it now, but she doesn't know for how much longer. When Gracie is confused about the sick Pokémon being in a lighthouse rather than the Center, Jasmine explains that the part of the lighthouse was converted to an area for the sick. This was so that Pokémon working there could receive care without abandoning their duties. It's also used when the Pokémon Center is overcrowded, or when someone needs a little privacy. She herself has some training in medical areas, and the nurses come up here regularly. The Pokémon in question reacted badly upon seeing others in the hospital, so she brought it here. Gracie adjusts her eyes to the gloom, and her eyes go wide as she realizes it's a female Mimikyu. She wonders if this has something to do with the Pokémon released by its Trainer before, and questions Jasmine about where the Pokémon has come from.

She states that this Pokémon used to be a competitive battler and a breeder, but she had trouble producing children. After a while, the Trainer agreed to use a surrogate, and the birth was successful. However, the new baby wasn't up to his standards, and he quickly abandoned the mother. The Trainer didn't take very good care of his Pokémon, so the mother was in bad condition when Jasmine found her. And then she got worse when she got sick. Gracie asks if the mother knew anything about the surrogate, and Jasmine responds that the Mimikyu thought it has been a Gardevior.

At this, Gracie puts her hand over her mouth, and slowly walks over to the other Pokémon. The Mimikyu's eyes are glazed and she looks lifeless and emaciated. She's suddenly looks over at Gracie, stating "you… Who are you?" Gracie responds, a concerned Pokémon, trying to help." The Mimikyu states. "What kind?" Gracie tries not to cry as she realizes the Mimikyu can't see her with all the gunk in her eyes, and she replies, a Gardevior. The Mimikyu starts musing. "Gardevior… Like the mother." Gracie trembles, wondering how this Mimikyu would feel if she tells the truth, and decides to respond. "Yes, like the mother. I think I'm your surrogate." The Mimikyu responds quickly. "You… The surrogate…?" Gracie nods, and the Mimikyu pauses. Gracie wonders if it will speak again.

"My child… Where is it?" Gracie responds. "Your daughter? She's doing fine. I sent her off with a good friend of mine, the Professor Pine in Viridian. Your daughter's name is Alice." The Mimikyu replies in a raspy voice. "Alice, that's a good name…" Gracie quickly replies. All the more reason to see her, right? We have to get you better, so when that happens, I can ask Jasmine to take you to Viridian, and then you can all live as one happy family." Gracie realizes that she didn't ask Jasmine about the entire thing, but she can see the woman nodding. She also thinks about how Pokémon that were retired battlers often lived happy lives at Pokémon labs, and thinks that this Mimikyu could easily live there. And having two rare Pokémon to study would make the professor twice as excited. The Mimikyu now wears a weak smile on her face, and repeats, "one happy family…" She pauses for a second before murmuring. "Meredith, my name…" Gracie nods, responding with hers. The Mimikyu falls asleep, but Gracie isn't sure for how long.

She turns to Jasmine, who simply states "Perhaps you two were fated to meet. It seems the world is a small place." Gracie trembles, and she knows it's not because the area is cold. Jasmine simply responds "Don't worry, I will make good on that promise. And I'm not angry at you or anything either." Gracie replies. "Is there anything I can do? I want her to live to see Alice!" Jasmine speaks gravely. "I can think of something… There's a pharmacy across the sea, in Cianwood. They sell items that apparently heal even the worst of diseases. I would go myself, but I am the only one that can really travel, heal, and fight. So going would leave Meredith unattended while I search… But you seem to be seasoned enough… Could you head to Cianwood in my place?" Gracie rapidly replies. "I'd be honored!"

And so the journey to Cianwood begins…

Cianwood is effectively the traditional waterway, and it's very annoying. Not only is it very long, but also easy to get lost, and the Trainers are bit tougher than typical ones… I almost always get lost in this place, even with a guide… It's safe to say that when Trainers make dangerous journeys across the sea in Traveler, it will probably be through this place… I don't have much story planned out here yet other than Miranda will probably showing up somewhere.

Also worth noting that the Trainers here are pretty easy…. I do have the issue of Power Points, however… I run so low on Power Points that I use Hyper Beam for the first time since I got it…

There's also a Shellder who is constantly dodging and Protecting against Focus Blasts, eventually injuring Gracie with Icicle Spear and forcing her to heal…

But, I make it to the city. There are events to the north, but I'm not interested in them yet…

Instead, I want to head straight to Chuck's Gym.

Chuck's always been a bit of an oddity, because his Gym is placed right in the middle of something that appears to be fairly urgent… On top of that, the remakes make this worse by having even more happening before the urgent event is completed… It's awkward, to say least. I'm not sure if Gracie will actually meet Chuck, but if she does, it will probably be _after_ Jasmine's event. I'm not sure what Chuck will teach her. Maybe how to better aim Focus Blast…

As far as Chuck himself goes, I honestly don't have much to say about him… He's just sort of there, aside from being awkwardly placed… Not to mention he doesn't have too much of a distinctive personality other than being a workaholic. He is also presumed to be not that intelligent… The anime refutes this by simply implying he's devoted to his craft, as he does has some interesting moves that he's more than willing to pass down to people (such as the ability to have humans fight Pokémon, with it being a true test of strength that Pokémon and Trainer literally fight alongside each other)…

But anyway, I still have to battle him.

Chuck's gym is one of the ones that was completely redesigned. Originally, it was a basic boulder puzzle. But now, the need to move boulders is gone, replaced by needing to move winches to get rid of a waterfall… It's interesting that the Trainers talk about Chuck meditating behind the waterfall, when it was originally Pryce that did this…

Anyway, in I go, soon after getting the necessary item to progress…

Chuck's Trainers aren't too difficult, and Gracie takes them out with Shadow Ball. Some of them weaken Gracie with physical moves, but she easily heals up… Chuck himself is taken out in two hits by Psychic… It looks like the storyline side quest that I thought was here isn't until later after all…

Which means I can go straight to the Gym. But I decide to wait on that, seeing as, like Morty, Jasmine has a lot of storyline attached to her. Enough to deserve its own update… Not to mention there's quite a bit of side questing involved after she is defeated…

But there is a bit of storyline here. Gracie is happy to see Falkner, the latter having teamed up with Miranda again. Falkner still notices that Gracie is rather downcast, and asks what is wrong. Gracie tells him about the sick Pokémon, and his eyes light up in urgency. He releases one of his bird Pokémon, as Miranda urges him to go Olivine at once, explaining that she will follow up remotely. Gracie obediently climbs on, and Falkner gives her a lift.

Gracie is not sure when she will find in Olivine, but she hopes that she has made it in time…

But that is something that will be seen next update.


	18. Light's Glimmer

**Welcome to another entry in Diary! As always, I don't own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **18: Light's Glimmer**

 **Day 17 (March 1, 2018): Johto**

And back with yet another episode! It's time to kick Olivine to the curb. But first, there's a lot of story…

Starting with an event to the north.

This event involves Eusine, and is required if Suicune is to be caught later. It ends up with both the player and Eusine seeing Suicune, and then Eusine challenges the player to a battle. This event can take place either before or after Olivine. Gameplay wise, it takes place before, but story wise, and takes place after. It may as well be told here though.

Gracie walks up with Falkner and Miranda, still downcast after what happened in Olivine. Eusine meets her there, looking out of the sea. He rapidly states "Gracie… I heard about what happened in Olivine. Rest assured, whoever did that will be brought to justice. I swear it on my duty as a Champion." Gracie simply lets out a huge sigh, and Miranda is surprised that that is not enough. Gracie slowly begins "In Ecruteak, Morty talked to me… And I…" She stops herself, almost biting her tongue. Gracie thinks about how so many of her beliefs have been shattered since she started this journey, and wonders how many more will continue to be. Eusine states "I assume Morty told you the truth, then. Or rather, what we believe to be the truth." Gracie nods miserably.

Falkner states. "Did I miss something?" Miranda simply mutters "A lot, it seems." Eusine gestures towards Gracie. "Care to elaborate?" Gracie nods, and explains what happened during Ecruteak. Miranda gravely closes her eyes, stating. "So you heard that story. I figured you might eventually." Gracie looks toward the group, asking. "Do you believe it?" Miranda shakes her head. "I don't know. Nothing any of us know. None of us know her as well as Morty does, and we have no proof either way." Eusine also nods "Even if we did have proof, I doubt it would change anything…" Gracie turns toward Eusine. "What are you doing here?" Eusine replies, "Oh, I was just remembering." At this, Eusine's Vessel powers activate, and Gracie shudders. Miranda states that Eusine is the Vessel of Suicune, and that he was chasing it for years before he obtained its power.

Gracie asked what he is doing now, and Eusine simply says "Remembering." Gracie asks if this is where he first saw Suicune. Eusine shakes his head, stating "This is where Kristine began her chase, and brought Suicune to me." Gracie's eyes go wide, and she yells "Brought it to you? Why?" Miranda replies, "Perhaps they simply ran into each other." Falkner adds "Or maybe it was an accident." Eusine shakes his head. "It was no accident, and they didn't simply run into each other." Gracie starts shaking, and she guesses from the look on Miranda's and Falkner's faces that neither have heard the story before. "It happened a few years back, when Kristine was well into her work as a vigilante. I had been chasing Suicune at the time, and I was known for being a bit eccentric. I guess that reputation preceded me, though, because many Trainers, especially those who worked as vigilantes, saw me as someone evil and out to hurt Pokémon."

Gracie's eyes go wide. "Couldn't you use your status of a Champion to protect yourself?" Eusine shakes his head. "I wasn't Champion until after I obtained Suicune's power, so no. I had little protection from others of the League at the time as well. Back then, I was just a powerful wandering Trainer, similar to what Kristine is doing now." Eusine shuts his eyes, and Gracie briefly thinks she can see pain in them. She wonders what the man is about to say next. "I always knew vigilantes would come after me, but I always thought I could outmatch them. Until the day one attacked me. That one was…" Miranda whispers. "Kristine."

Falkner shouts "Why did she attack you? Did you provoke her?" Eusine continues. "No, she led the attack, almost completely without warning." Falkner clenches his fist. "Why? She was close to Morty. She should have learned that the truth from him…" Eusine rapidly replies. "I wasn't in Ecruteak very much, thanks to my wanderings. And the few times I was there, it was never when she was. I imagine she was so into her training with Morty that he didn't speak about me much. In any case, she had no idea who I was. Until Morty appeared. It was at that point that she realized her mistake, but by then she had done significant damage. And of course, Morty saw it all."

Gracie starts to feel sick, but somehow wants Eusine to continue. Therefore, she states, "so what happened? What did Morty do?" Eusine replied. "He was furious at her, of course. Vigilante or no, she should have known better than to attack someone based on only on hearsay. And even if he thought of her as his daughter, he had to enforce the laws. She attacked me in the city where he was the Leader. So it was his job to punish her."

Gracie's eyes continue to go wide as she replies. "Did he? Could he?" Eusine replies. "He could, and did try. I remember the girl was beside herself, as he coldly lay down the law. At this time, the incident with Team's Rocket Archer had already taken place. So he asked about that, but she told him nothing. He stated that she had attacked an innocent man, gravely injuring his Pokémon, and that was the equivalent of assault. She'd be lucky if she escaped with a fine, but considering all the horrible rumors he had heard at this point, he imagined she would probably receive something far worse. I remember Morty didn't care how regretful she was, because after all the things she'd done, her emotions very well could have been acted. He stated that he wasn't sure he knew her anymore."

Falkner replies. "Why did the authorities believe you over her?" Eusine grimly continues. He may not look it, but Morty is one of the few Trainers who can safely probe others' minds. He already knew of my innocence. But the same condition that gave Kristine the mental blockage Morty spoke of also prevented authorities from searching her mind. Even if she had given consent, it was considered far too dangerous. And since Kristine refused to speak, she effectively condemned herself. Whether or not she remained silent out of fear or defiance, I don't know. Regardless, the other authorities in the area agreed that it was best to separate Kristine from regular Trainers until a trial could be held."

Miranda replies. "And yet, she has a clean record now. So I'm assuming that punishment never took place." Eusine nods. "Just before Morty was about to enact his punishment, I noticed a Pokémon equivalent to a god floating around Kristine. That Pokémon, I would come to learn, is called Hoopa. Morty told me to pay it no mind, because Kristine often attracted legendary Pokémon. But I thought I could use that to my advantage. If she could attract legendary Pokémon, why couldn't she find Suicune? So I told Morty to wait, told him I had a better idea for punishment." Eusine closes his eyes.

"I asked if Kristine could find Suicune. If she kept her word, it would prove she was as honest as people had said, and her emotions were real. And having her join the search for Suicune was something that benefited me, a way of returning the favor after what she did before. It would be as dangerous as any other form of punishment, if not more. I thought that it would be a fitting consequence for her actions." Miranda stays calm but has an icy tone to her voice. "How did you know she would keep her promise?" Eusine replies. "I didn't. I had nothing to go on but my own hearsay. I was also growing desperate, chasing after Suicune for years without success… But if someone like her could help me, my efforts might finally come to fruition."

Gracie shudders, thinking that she's heard about human jails and that they can be horrible places. And that's not counting all the other punishments humans could inflict on each other… If someone as proud as the Mold Breaker was desperate enough to head on a journey for a stranger in order to avoid these punishments, they must've been more terrible than anything Gracie could ever imagine...

She's drawn back to the conversation by Falkner shouting. "So you used her…" Eusine replied. "There weren't a lot of other options, most of them were much worse. I think she knew that too, because she immediately agreed. Morty was suspicious about the idea, saying that I was being far too lenient on her. That I couldn't trust her at this point. Asking what would happen if my plan didn't work. I told him that if I couldn't trust her, he could do what he wanted. But I wanted to test her. To see if she was truly worthy of the name she carried."

Gracie replies. "So, I'm assuming she kept her promise." Eusine nodded. "She was going to set out as soon as possible, and Morty would use his ghosts to track her best he could. I never got chance to say farewell to her though, because she was gone early in the morning. It was so early that Morty never got the chance to track her. Kristine was always infamous for hiding from trackers. He told me that was my proof right there, but I still didn't believe him. Many months passed, and no one could find her. Morty often said that I should have used his way. It would've hurt more, he said, but it would've been over quicker. I still said nothing, and simply waited. I remember Morty sounded angry, but I knew he was worried sick... Eventually, he sent out search parties, not to punish her, but to bring her back alive. Yet she was never found, and we began to fear the worst."

Gracie responded. "What happened? How did she find Suicune? Eusine closed his eyes. "We don't really know. It was the middle of the morning in Olivine. Morty was just about go lead a search himself with all the Kimono Girls and Jasmine in tow. But then, all of us heard a roar, one that I could recognize instantly. Immediately, Suicune appeared, carrying Kristine on its back. But I knew something was wrong. She was slumped over, almost lying down. She barely hung on, and wasn't even able to speak. As soon as Suicune stopped, Kristine tumbled off its back. I could see that her entire body was bruised and battered, with wounds from ice. She looked half drowned, and clearly she had been blow around by something, even though there was no wind that day. Kristine looked like she hadn't slept in days, and some of us wondered if she'd been chasing Suicine through the night. Thankfully, Morty caught her when she fell, and Jasmine rushed over to assist.

She immediately took Kristine to the lighthouse, while the rest of us tried to figure out what to do. The decision was made for us, though, as Suicune leaped to attack me. I'm not sure why it attacked, when it was normally content with just outrunning me. Morty told me later about Kristine's ability to command all Pokémon, so I suspected the attack was something she told it to do. And as you can probably guess…" Gracie replies. "You captured it, and became its Vessel." Eusine nods. Miranda prompts. "What happened after?" Eusine replies. "We decided to wait until Kristine woke up. We thought maybe she could provide us with some answers, now that everything had been resolved."

Miranda continues. "But she never did, did she?" Eusine nods. "Morty wasn't sure what to think, and poor Jasmine was beside herself. They were close to her, so they thought they could get some information. But there was nothing. I remember Morty pointed out that she had every reason to disobey me, every reason to attack again or be on the run, and every reason to simply take the punishment that he had. But she had done none of that, at the risk of her own life. Unfortunately, Kristine still told us nothing. Whatever reasons she had, she kept them to herself." Gracie is shocked that the Mold Breaker would act so secretive around someone she considered her own family, and wondered what type of person she really is.

Falkner has an edge to his tone as he replies. "Did you forgive her?" Eusine gravely nodded. "Of course I forgave her. How could I not, when she put her own life at stake to find something I wanted? I told her I wanted to get to know her a little better, since Morty knew her so well. But she didn't respond. I don't know she rejected me or not, but I do remember she was always wary around Ecruteak from then on. Even after Morty dropped all charges… Even after Jasmine said she would lend a listening ear… Nothing seemed to help… Morty said that he didn't know what was going on, but he did say he had never seen her look so broken. He said she appeared guilty, ashamed of something… And I have a feeling it wasn't just because of what happened to me."

Gracie start shaking again as she replies. "Would make her so guilty that she would behave that way?" Eusine shook his head. "I don't know. But I do know she probably never forgave herself, even years later… When everyone else forgave and forgot… And I suspect it's also because of that fear Morty told you about… The fear of confronting who she is… I have no proof of this though, it's not like she will tell me." Eusine lets out a sigh. "At least something good came out of it though. With Suicune's power, I became more confident as a Trainer. And it was not long before became the Champion. So I guess I have Kristine to thank for that."

Eusine sighs again, clearly slowly pondering his words. He looks straight at Gracie, and she shudders. "I guess I just wanted to let you know that the Mold Breaker is not the perfect Trainer you think she is… She's just a girl, plagued by her guilt… Perhaps she could get better if she asked for help… But I'm not sure if she will." Gracie trembles, now conflicted over what she has heard. "What if help came to her?" Eusine replies "Who would come? They would have to know about her first." A new firmness enters Gracie's voice, as she remembers her mission. "Someone will." Eusine nods, and bids farewell to the party.

But before this, story wise, there's Olivine.

After Falkner gives Gracie a lift, he heads back to Cianwood to continue collaborating with Miranda. She says that the city is only a short distance away, and that Gracie should contact him if she needs anything. Gracie enters the lighthouse, hearing Meredith's shallow breathing, and realizes she has gotten worse. Jasmine has a grave look on her face, and Gracie can only guess what this means. Jasmine only nods as she takes the medicine, and tries to give it to Meredith. However, Meredith has difficulty swallowing, and could only get a little bit down. The two wait for a while, as Jasmine states that the medicine should take effect within a few hours. However, nothing seems to happen, and Meredith's condition nosedives. Gracie laments that she was too late, but Jasmine replied, "She was so sick I'm not sure anything will save her". Gracie tries to keep her eyes open, wanting to be with Meredith when she passes. Jasmine realizes that, using her own psychics to help keep Gracie from falling asleep.

Eventually, Gracie is jolted wide awake, although Jasmine tries to be quiet. She states that she thinks it might be time soon. Gracie feels like she can see a faint aura, when she thinks might be Meredith's life force finally beginning to leave. However, Meredith suddenly rasps "You… Gracie, come…" Gracie does as she is told, thinking how she feels a lump in her throat even though she never truly got to know this Pokémon. She thinks about Alice, wondering if she is losing her as well. Gracie stands over Meredith's bedside, seeing the other Pokémon's breathing grow shallower and shallower.

Meredith rasps "You're a psychic. Can you see the future?" Gracie nods, although she realizes she hasn't seen the future in a long time, and wonders if she can keep the promise. Meredith speaks between labored breaths. "Please, what can you see about… My daughter's future?…" Gracie nods, but feels tears welling up. She realizes this is most likely Meredith's last request, and summons all of her energy. Gracie concentrates, and can see a vision of Alice, but she is older and is rippling with strength. Someone is beside her, but Gracie cannot make out who it is. She realizes whoever it is has confidence, but as soon as she does, the vision fades. Gracie tries to speak, but can barely get the words out, "I see… that she will become the strongest Pokémon in the world!" There's a weak smile on Meredith's face, and she replies "Thank you." With that, Meredith passes away peacefully.

At this, the tears start to flow, and Gracie realizes that even though she seen a lot of death as a wild Pokémon and has been near death a few times herself, she'd never seen anything this senseless. Gracie wonders why she is crying, but Jasmine comforts her, telling Gracie she knew Meredith too. Gracie works up the courage to speak, saying "This should not have happened. That Trainer... I want him dead, exactly how Meredith died!"

Jasmine flinches, stating that that is rather harsh, but also that she understands. As it is, they can charge him with unlawful release, but they might have a hard time charging him with murder. He wasn't directly responsible for Meredith's death, and was not with her when she died. She and Gracie would have trouble proving it, unless someone had their memories searched." Gracie is devastated, but then asks what unlawful release is. Jasmine replies that it is within the rights of a Trainer to release a Pokémon they feel they cannot control or otherwise care for anymore. However, there are certain restrictions to it, meant to keep Trainers from abusing the system.

Each release is tracked, and if necessary, the League can find out why the release was done. If there are too many releases at once, the release is done out of malice, or the release is done without making sure the Pokémon has proper care afterward (such as being in the correct environment, being in the care of another, or simply being able to look after themselves), the release can be considered unlawful. And then the Trainer can be prosecuted. Doubly so the Pokémon dies after this happens, or otherwise comes to severe harm. There's even cases where a trainer releases their Pokémon, that Pokémon comes to harm after another Trainer catches it, and the original Trainer is prosecuted. Although, those cases are often minor. Gracie looks toward Meredith, who Jasmine has now covered with a blanket. Gracie's eyes go wide as she realizes something. "Meredith wasn't his Pokémon anymore, and she hadn't been for a long time." Jasmine sharply replies. "But it was his duty to care for her up until the end. And he clearly didn't." Gracie nods in agreement.

Jasmine tells Gracie that she should use one of the other rooms for the night, because it's far too late to go back down. Gracie suddenly starts to feel ill, but dismisses it. Jasmine notices she doesn't look well, and starts to have a bad feeling. She thinks that Gracie might've pushed herself a bit too hard, but Gracie thinks that she will feel better in the morning. Within minutes, Meredith and Jasmine are gone. Later on, Jasmine states she took Meredith to the Center, where the nurses can examine what happened and give the Pokémon a proper burial. Gracie drifts off to sleep, still feeling sick. Unfortunately, when she wakes up, she still is not any better, but worse. She starts to become terrified, but Jasmine calms her down. Jasmine states this is not anything like what Meredith had, but only a simple cold. She probably will get one of the nurses to help out, just in case. Gracie starts to wonder about Meredith, but Jasmine think she's simply watching over her.

Gracie still gets worried, still hoping that her illness doesn't turn into something severe. Jasmine shakes her head, saying that she hadn't seen someone fret over a minor illness so much since Kristine. Gracie is shocked that the powerful Mold Breaker would be concerned over something as minor as an illness. Jasmine replies that she was downright terrified. Of course, Kristine had good reason. Gracie is confused, and Jasmine explains that believe it or not, Kristine actually has several medical conditions. Her ability to travel and fight _despite_ these conditions is part of the reason she got her name. One of her medical issues could turn a simple cold into a battle lasting a week or more.

Gracie is surprised, thinking how someone could travel like that. Jasmine replies that Kristine simply waited until she had the proper medicine to go. Even then, she checked with her regular doctors and the League to make sure she was healthy. By the time she was ready, she was an adult, yet was much more prepared than the typical Trainer. She also kept up with her studies, finding a way to go to school even on the journey. Therefore, she had a great deal of education to fall back on in case being a Pokémon Trainer still didn't work out.

Grace's eyes widen, thinking that someone like that would have no trouble with the journey. Jasmine's eyes darken, and she continues to explain that it was actually extremely risky for her to go when she did. She continues, "The laws are set to protect child Trainers, and I don't see them changing anytime soon. Under these laws, almost everyone is obligated to go easy on them. They can get away with anything, even murder… That's why it's so hard to bring Trainers like the one that killed Meredith in. Doing anything against them will provoke the law, and they know it. Furthermore, as soon as a trainer turns 18, all those protections disappear. This is because they're legally considered adults. If the Trainer wants protection from the League again, they have to ask to get it themselves. Unfortunately, hardly anyone wants to, because that usually requires giving up some freedom. Not to mention all the legal procedures one has to go through, and the Trainer requiring proof of intentions so that they don't use the system maliciously… If you ask me, it's almost more of a hassle than it's worth."

Jasmine shakes her head before continuing. "Protection isn't the only problem. There is a massive amount of ageism, especially if the Trainer is starting the journey as an adult. This is because a common assumption is the Trainer was too scared to go when they were younger… With all of this, Kristine actually left in one of the worst possible situations. But really, she had no choice. It took her so long to prepare, and get her health under control… I think that she went any younger, she probably would've died horribly…"

Gracie clenches her fist. "So, Kristine journeyed knowing those risks, but why are things like that? It's so… Backwards…" Jasmine replies. "The people who made those laws had good intentions. They realized that having a world where children were treated like adults but without the protection that they normally have was not the best idea. The children are still children. They don't have the capacity to make decisions like adults, no matter how strong they are… But now it's gotten out of hand… And honest, mature, adult Trainers like Kristine are caught in the crossfire, in bad situations, but unable to speak up against the system that will inevitably rule against them… Kristine was a Trainer in trouble, right from the start."

Gracie simply echoes, "A Trainer in trouble." She recalls what Morty said and thinks out loud that he never mentioned this. Jasmine replies. "Of course he didn't. Things are a mess." She shakes her head, responding. "It's probably why Kristine's so secretive, even though we treated her like family." Gracie replies. "We? But Morty is…" Jasmine cut her off. "My husband." Gracie's eyes go wide. "But you live in two different cities…" Jasmine nodded. "Yes, but Olivine and Ecruteak are very close, so it wasn't too difficult to move around as needed. When our children went on journeys, it became even easier. So that's why I'm here now, and he looks after Ecruteak." Gracie simply says, "Oh." Jasmine nods, and sympathy fills her eyes.

"You look so worn down, and not because of the illness. I think you need a break. Why don't you help out in the Gym for a while? There's a few places that are nice to visit. They're near Cianwood, and some require even more traveling. However I can ask Falkner to fly you around." Gracie tries to protest. "I have keep going." Jasmine lets out a laugh. "Now you _really_ sound like Kristine. The heavens themselves couldn't convince her from abandoning something she wanted, even if she was about to collapse on the ground." Gracie is about to say something, but Jasmine pulls the covers over her, shaking her head. "That's enough. You need your rest. No answer, if's, or buts." Jasmine's eyes shine in mock anger, but her words carry no real bite. "If I see you out of the bed, I'm carrying you back myself." She closes the door, and Gracie ponders what she heard. Eventually, she recovers, and takes Jasmine up on her offer.

Which finally leads me to talk about Jasmine and her quest.

First off, I always thought Jasmine's quest with her Ampharos didn't make much sense. The game tries to portray a sense of urgency with its dialogue, trying to prompt the player to return quickly. However, the gameplay itself doesn't match up, because the player can do as many as side quests as they want or otherwise be gone for a long time, and the Ampharos will still be there, same as it was before they left. This gets even worse when one takes into account that the quickest way to get back to Olivine requires doing a quest that is not related to Jasmine _at all._

It's especially puzzling because many other games developed at the time had a whole range of quests where a character's life had to be saved. These quests often did have time limits. If the time limit ran out, the character would die, and the player would typically be penalized (usually, by a tragic ending to the quest, but gameplay penalties were also not unheard of). It certainly would not have been a problem to add a time limit in the remakes. This is especially since the Pokémon series used its first instance of time limits in the Johto games (20 minutes for the Bug Catching Contest, although most people don't realize it exists because they never reach it)… This would have been the perfect place to add a time limit elsewhere, but unfortunately, there aren't any… Perhaps the game creators thought that Ampharos dying would be a bit too morbid for a game that's otherwise light hearted, but then that's even more confusing considering death was a huge part for one of the arcs in the previous games…

Nevertheless, the Traveler series is based off of the darker interpretation, although the canon Pokémon is still alive (having never gotten sick). It's also knowing that Gracie getting sick after doing the huge journey between cities is based of something in the last entry. This entry explains that very possible to get lost and run down in this area, so that's what happens to Gracie. Not to mention that if the player is actually progressing in the direction the game wants them to, they traverse a long distance a short amount of time… The sickness seen also gives Jasmine much more interaction with Gracie, because their original conversation was fairly short. It's worth noting that Meredith appears again as a spirit in Usurping, as well as playing a part in Mold Breaker. However, the protagonist of the latter book does not know who she is until the former.

The conversation between Jasmine and Gracie about the laws is a bit of world-building, and the laws she mentioned play a major part in other books. Particularly, there are many instances of it being used against people, and they are unable to fight back… The conversation also foreshadows what happens in Mold Breaker, Usurping, and even Daughter. Gracie probably won't encounter the laws, being a Pokémon, but she will meet others affected by them.

Now, on to Jasmine herself.

I've always liked Jasmine, mainly because she was one of the few female Gym Leaders at the time she was introduced. I also enjoyed the idea that she was quiet and polite, but clearly strong when she needed to be. This is why she played a huge role in the original incarnation of the Traveler series. In the original incarnation, she was traveling together with Clair, but got lost. They ended up with the main protagonist, although she wasn't really traveling with them before that. Jasmine and Clair knew each other, and spent a lot of the story together. However, only Clair knew the protagonist. Clair and Jasmine had opposite personalities, like they do in canon. They got just as well as one might expect… The protagonist was also supposed to travel with them later. Unfortunately, I realized that the two would find it difficult to leave their Gyms unattended. They would constantly clash, both with each other and with the protagonist. This is why the latter's traveled with Ash instead in the original.

In this version, Clair and Jasmine still know the protagonist, but the three are never together (although Jasmine and Clair might still know each other). While the protagonist is still close to both, they are not traveling partners. The closeness she does have with them is a very different type of relationship than what she had in her original appearance. In said original appearance, Jasmine was much younger. She was only slightly older than the main protagonist. Clair was also older than her, although it was unknown by how much. In the new version, both are clearly older, even though the protagonist herself was also aged up. In my early notes for the protagonist's backstory, it was Falkner who acted similar to a parent. However, I realized that this would not work too well because Falkner has a rather harsh personality and is fairly young. Not to mention that the protagonist eventually became associated with ghosts, and Morty was the perfect person. Jasmine was added in later as his wife because I felt their personalities were pretty similar, and I wanted to acknowledge the major role she originally had in the story.

But now that all that is over, on to gameplay!

I'm playing at night, and I still have to do the event with Eusine. Luckily, his Pokémon fall easily.

It's worth noting a bunch of side quests open up now, so I decide to do them before taking on Jasmine. Most of them involve getting items, such as the Mystic Water in Cherrygrove. However, some of them involve battles.

Like the ones in Union Cave. There's two other entrances that open up here, one that leads to the ruins of Alph, and another that leads to an area with a special Pokémon.

I decide to do the Ruins of Alph first. I am not sure what story I will do for the Ruins of Alph, but I know there will be some story. This is because it features heavily in the other books. In these other books, a group of people go to the Ruins of Alph, and eventually the Sinjoh Ruins. So maybe Gracie's event will have something to do with Arceus…

Anyway, for the special Pokémon, I won't be seeing its run. The Pokémon is Lapras, and it has one of the most annoying requirements in the games. In order to get this Pokémon to even appear, the player must travel south in the Union Cave, then to the bottom of the area. Said area holds nothing of value otherwise. Furthermore, the player must perform these steps on a Friday. Otherwise, Lapras will not appear. Nowhere does the game even hint at any of this, and the location is so remote players are unlikely to go there on their own. If the player misses a day, knocks out Lapras, or catches it, they have to wait until the next Friday. Thankfully, Lapras is much easier to catch in all the other games it can be found.

Gracie also tries to learn Imprison here, but I don't let her. There's one more place to go to. It's the south of Route 34. It leads to three Trainers who all have Water Type Pokémon. When found, they will get angry and attack. The Trainers are bit stronger than what the player would normally face at this point, but they're no match for Gracie. It's also worth noting is the first two are a double battle in the remakes, and simply a back-to-back battle in the original. The third will not attack until the player walks right up to her in either version. I'm not sure how would fit these three in, but their intro is so interesting, I just might.

And this is the last event before Jasmine.

Well, at least before the Gym opens up.

Turns out there's something else to do. The Safari Zone.

Johto is an interesting region in that it did not have a Safari Zone of its own in the originals. There was data for one, but it was never implemented and could not be accessed without third-party devices. The remakes change this by adding a few new routes, new Trainers, and putting the Safari Zone back at the end of the routes. The Safari Zone is completely optional, but it's worth visiting because of the good music, chances to find more Pokémon, excellent training spots, and extra battles. Also, Jasmine has received a level jump to compensate.

So I head there now.

The Trainers are still pretty low leveled, so they're fairly easy. The only real problem is a lot of double battles, and a Dunsparce that tries to paralyze Gracie, but hilariously, is still out-sped even when she's paralyzed…

But, finally I reach it.

The Safari Zone.

I said before I have mixed feelings about this place. I may as well say why now.

The thing is that the Safari Zone is supposed to help the player find rare Pokémon.

The problem is that this one doesn't.

It _does_ give the player the chance to catch a lot of Pokémon, many of which were not found until much later on in the originals. But many of the more powerful ones are still relegated to the second half of the game. This includes some of the ones that could easily have been moved to earlier parts of Johto. While these species can be found at the start of the second half, there's the fact that many people choose not to do it, so it makes them useless…

On top of that, moving around the Safari Zone is tedious as well. There are a limited number of areas available, and each has different Pokémon. However, more areas are eventually unlocked and used. Unfortunately, the limit of areas still remains small. If the player wants to use the different areas but is at the limit, they must switch out the desired area for another. The old area will never appear in the Safari Zone unless the player goes back and switches things around again… The method to find non-Johto Pokémon is even worse… The player has to put up bait for them, then wait for a certain number of days in order to find the desired Pokémon. And some of species take a really long time to appear… So in the end, the player is usually better off trading with another games… Not to mention that there's a lot of different quests the player has to do in order to even have access to these features…

All in all, the Safari Zone could have been a great concept, but it's just not executed well… Of course, I won't be using this one.

There's a little bit of story, but not much. Gracie is picked up by Falkner, exploring the different areas. She also works on her skills and water and flight, genuinely enjoying herself. Eventually, she meets Molly Hale, and tells her everything she knows thus far. Gracie talks about the different stories she has heard about the Mold Breaker, and wonders who the real one is. Molly replies they both are, and that one cannot truly help an individual until they understand all of their character. Gracie repeats the last line, wondering if she cannot rescue the Mold Breaker unless she understands all of her personality.

And now, it's finally time for the Gym Battle.

Unfortunately, I have some difficulty.

One of Gracie's Focus Blasts misses, and I get paralyzed by Thunder Wave from a Magnemite. I can't move from the paralysis, and get hit by Supersonic. Between hitting myself in confusion and that, I'm not moving much. Not to mention Magnemite's Thunderbolt does some decent damage.

To the point where Gracie is weakened. Unfortunately, I don't have many means to heal paralysis, and have to focus on HP. So I miss more turns from said paralysis. Eventually, the first Magnemite is taken out, but the second is not much better. It lands a critical Thunderbolt, weakening Gracie immediately. To make matters worse, I'm still struggling with paralysis and confusion, and I have to use another turn healing. I eventually manage to heal the paralysis, and defeat the second Magnemite easily. Steelix only goes down with only one Focus Blast. Just thinking about how if this was one of the later games, the battle would be so much worse… Jasmine might reference this by being surprised when Gracie gets hit by a Pokémon move and doesn't get hurt as much as she expects.

So finally, the sixth Badge is mine, and it's on to the last quarter of the gameplay.

Immediately, I fly back to Ecruteak, but not before heading to Goldenrod to replenish my stores.

Now the routes east of Ecruteak require my attention. There's not much on them, but they lead to the next city. There's an area called Mt. Mortar, but since it just contains a side quest that can only be completed much later in the game, I'm not visiting it now.

Also noting that there is an optional appearance by Eusine here. I really like this extra appearance, because it explains Eusine's motivations. Essentially, he was enthralled by the stories his grandfather told him, and that the reason he is chasing Suicune is to find out what it's running for… It's rather interesting, because the games never really explain why the legendary beasts roam… Pokémon Special at least explains this, though. Unfortunately, said expiration doesn't work with any of the other media, because the reason has to do with a character that doesn't exist anywhere else…

Anyway, Gracie moves onto Mahogany. Well, not quite. It seems there's a bit of an issue with Team Rocket… So I head north next.

I'm not sure how I'm going to write this, seeing as some of the events here have already taken place. Furthermore, the hideout as it is seen in the games doesn't really exist by the time Gracie's story comes around. Plus, Lance is a focus character of the arc in-game, but in Traveler, he's taking care of Kanto…

Perhaps it would be a good time to reintroduce Will and Karen here…

Anyway, up through the Lake of Rage Gracie goes. The Trainers here are not difficult, unlike the previous battles.

However, there is an event here.

And that is the Red Gyarados.

Which is something that always stumped me. The idea is that players can catch a shiny Pokémon to call their own. That's all well and good, except that I feel like red should not have been Gyarados's shiny coloration. It stated that this is something unique to the lake, something which no one has ever seen before. The anime reinforces this by saying that the coloration is a malfunction of a machine that was able to get Gyarados to evolve early, but it still retained the color from its previous form.

So if this Gyarados is implied to be unique, why is it the same color as every other shiny Gyarados? It makes no sense… Plus, it's bad news for anyone who actually gets a shiny Magikarp and manages to evolve it… If it were me, I would have made Gyarados's shiny coloration gold, in order to match Magikarp's… Plus it looks much prettier that way…

Alas, that is not to be.

Instead, this red Gyarados is angry, and Gracie has to take it down. It's worth noting that capturing or defeating the red Gyarados will net the player a Red Scale. This can be traded for an Exp. Share. However, I won't be doing that in this run.

The Red Gyarados is defeated with one attack, and the day comes to an end.

Next time, a hideout to raid, and heading towards the two final Badges.


	19. Dream of Ice

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **19: Dream of Ice**

 **Day 18 (March 2, 2018): Johto**

Off to the next Gym! Mahogany awaits!

Well, at least it does after taking care of Team Rocket.

So let's get to it.

The Team Rocket hideout in Mahogany is one of the most annoying places in the games. This is because of the high amount of traps. The first of traps has to do with statues. Walking past on the statues will trigger an unavoidable battle with two Rockets. These Rockets will continue appearing unless the area is cleared, or the player goes out of the way to find a secret switch.

Annoying, to say the least, and not all that clear…

I remember when I was first playing this area, and didn't understand the traps… So I kept thinking that if I fought the battles, they would eventually stop. And I didn't know what the secret switch was, so I kept running back and forth getting attacked again and again. I was also getting frustrated because I seemed to constantly get attacked with no means of stopping it… Doesn't help that I also got lost, and kept wandering around gaining experience using just the two fights at the traps… Somehow, I made it through…

But there's another trap further on.

And this is the Pokémon trap.

There are tiles on some of the floors, and stepping on some of them will force the player into fights with Voltorb, Koffing, and Geodude. The player cannot run from these fight. All the Pokémon know moves that will make them explode and do huge damage to the player's party.

They will not hesitate to use them.

As many an unfortunate run has found out.

Luckily, the player can also catch these Pokémon, and this is the first place where Voltorb can be found. It's also possible that outlevel the Pokémon, and defeat them before they use their exploding moves. So it's not all that bad.

The third trap is just confusing, and convoluted.

Someone thought would be a good idea for the player to run around and find passwords. However, the game doesn't give much of a hint about where and how to find them. The player has to beat two Rockets, talk to them afterward to get the passwords, then take the passwords to a door in the center of the hideout. One of the Rockets will give a password willingly after being defeated.

The other one is bit harder.

First off, the game doesn't say that he is the one the player has to talk to. Furthermore, when spoken to, the person will act like he forgot the password, and give what appears to be the _wrong_ password. This is made even more confusing by the fact that the person that automatically gives her password does it with confidence _and_ says it's useless unless there's two passwords.

So it's entirely possible to avoid the second talk on purpose, miss it entirely, or have the talk but not make the connection, with the player thinking that they are talking to the wrong person. As a result, it becomes impossible to get further into the hideout. Ahe player can easily be running around, trying to figure out how to clear the hideout but having no means of getting into one locked rooms…

Needless to say, this is what happened on my early playthroughs of this place… I finally had to consult a guide to try and figure out what was going on… This also started my habit of talking to everyone in Pokémon, just so I don't miss important information. Takes longer though.

But that's not the end of the password fun.

After the player gets into the area with the two passwords, there's another.

And it can be very difficult to get.

The player is required to fight a Rocket that leads the operation. It seems as though the Rocket will give out the final password once he is defeated, but that is not the case. Instead, the Rocket runs off to inform the others.

Leaving the player with no clues on what to do next.

Well, no clues except for a lone Murkrow.

The player has to talk to this Murkrow in order to proceed. Said Murkrow inexplicably starts speaking the human language and tells the player the last password.

I have a problem with this.

For one, it's bizarre, and there's really no explanation. Pokémon have never been seen speaking the human language in the games, so why would any of them try now? Not to mention that the player has no reason to consider talking to Murkrow, because talking to Pokémon before this does nothing…

Thankfully, the remakes fixed this event.

Now, when the boss of Team Rocket is defeated, Murkrow runs up to the player and starts talking. It's revealed that Murkrow can mimic the sound of the boss's voice, and knows the password from that. It is also revealed that the door is voice-activated, and that the player cannot open it by themselves. Murkrow runs down the hallway, and the player is forced to follow. It stops at the final door, screaming the boss's voice into it. After that, it runs away, and the player can proceed.

I really like this addition. It turns a very confusing event into something that makes sense and is easily doable. Not to mention it also makes sense that Murkrow would run away, after what's been heard about Team Rocket and what they do to Pokémon…

Regardless, this place still remains one of my most hated dungeons in all the games… I kept on wanting someone to get captured or otherwise in trouble because of all of traps… The anime actually has this happen, but since this is the anime and the character in question is Ash, it doesn't last long… Interestingly, in one of the original drafts of something that would lead to Traveler, Ethan was the one who got in trouble because of the traps. He had to be rescued by Lance, and later joins Lance to train under him. The former accepts because he wants to keep an eye on Ethan after what happened. There were also drafts of the _main protagonist_ getting captured, but she usually got out on her own. Furthermore she noticeably lacked a lot of the survival instincts that she does in her current version, only finding her way through out of desperation.

In the new version, someone still gets captured, but it's probably _not_ the main protagonist. She's a lot stronger than her original self, and has the tactics and survival skills to avoid rushing into traps. Not to mention that by the time this happens, Usurping's protagonist has had more than a few bad encounters with traps. Therefore, she is wary around them… I could see her getting hurt trying to rescue others, especially since she has a grudge against the evil teams by this point. Maybe she even chooses not to go in because she is overly cautious about traps…

As for who is captured, I really don't know. There's a lot of people that could be chosen. And as for the rescuer is, it's already confirmed not to be Lance. This is because Lance is working in Kanto at the time. It's also probably not Pryce, because he is not in good physical condition to do something like that. I feel like the best person would be Jasmine, because it would the perfect opportunity for her aggressive side to show while still staying in character. She's one of the closest people to the area. Bonus points in that Jasmine is closer to the protagonist, and that it would be a chance to try and reconcile (which probably doesn't go too well). Not to mention she has a mischievous student (Janina) who I could see getting captured… If Jasmine is the one chosen, this would probably take place soon after the fight with Suicune.

Anyway, now that my rant about the hideout is over, it's time to go in it.

Luckily, the fights in the hideout are easy. The only real issue is a Raticate who decides to dodge a Focus Blast, and attack back for a while. Also worth noting that I have Power Point problems, but I can easily exit the dungeon to heal.

Also noting that this is Petrel's major appearance. I don't really have an opinion on him, and he's not all that strong. In the original, he along with Proton went unnamed and were never truly given a counterpart. Nevertheless, Petrel is very easy. After taking him down, I can finally head to the last room.

Where I come face to face with another Rocket Executive and a grunt.

I may as well talk about the Executive that appears here; Arianna. Arianna is my favorite of the Executives, because she has the most character (not that there is very much). She is ruthless and devoted her goals, but also admires those with power. She comes to respect the player, wishing they were on the same side. It's also implied that she is the mother of Silver. This is because her name means silver and she is close to Giovanni proximity wise. However, the game doesn't give any more hints, and neither confirms or denies this.

I really feel like Arianna could've gotten a lot more personality and character development, but was instead shafted to the side… She has an expanded role in the Traveler series, but I will save that for her final appearance… I will say that Arianna was considered for one of the people that were help the resistance movement and betray her organization. However, since she is still fairly cruel and ruthless, that role was given to someone else. Actually, that someone else is no longer part of an evil organization _at all_ in the Traveler universe… But I will talk about that when I get there…

For now, it's time to fight. In the original version, the player only fights Arianna, while Lance takes out the other person offscreen. In the remakes, it is a double battle and both are fought. Hilariously, Lance is supposed be super strong and outclassing the player, but I'm actually higher level than he is right now… Also noting that Silver appears in the hideout, stinging from a loss against Lance. Luckily, he does not attack here. I don't have any idea how I'm going to write this, since that encounter is already resolved by the time Gracie's story begins.

Anyway, all the enemy Pokémon are destroy by a single attack. The last thing to do in the hideout is to defeat a bunch of Electrode in order to turn off a generator. They can either be captured or knocked out, and are fond of using explosive moves. The Pokémon are useful if the player didn't get lucky with the encounters in the traps, but nothing special otherwise.

So finally on to the Gym.

The Gym is home to Ice Type Pokémon. Fittingly, it's also home to sliding ice puzzles. I always hated these puzzles, because I constantly got lost by going the wrong direction. However, I will save that rant for a later area. The ice puzzles in Pryce's Gym may be simple, but they get much harder as the player progresses…

Anyway, may as well talk about Pryce himself.

I don't really have an opinion on Pryce, but I will say his character is written well. I especially like the way his demeanor changed in the remakes. In the original games, he looked rather decrepit, but in the remakes, he honestly looks like his age would not slow him down. Pyrce wears clothing in good condition that also would make sense in winter. His hand is extended to the player invitingly in challenge. It really matches the reputation of someone who was a powerful winter trainer who has been strengthened by age rather than hindered by it. And that's what the games were originally trying to portray.

Pryce also has an interesting role in areas outside of the games. Many media adaptations bring out a darker, if not outright villainous side to him, but they give him very good reasons for doing so. The anime made it so that he thought his fateful Pokémon abandoned him when he was seriously injured. As a result, Pryce swore never to become close to another Pokémon again. That changes when Ash finds the Pokémon, having fallen deep underground but able to save itself by hibernating. The Pokémon Special had him _actually_ be a villain. This is only because he lost two Pokémon when he was younger, and would do anything to bring them back. All media interpretations that are more villainous also show a softer side, such as the anime still showing that he cares about Pokémon despite not being close to them. The Pokémon Special magna shows he cares about the children he raised to be his servants, and once he gets his Pokémon back much later on, he immediately sides of the heroes. So despite the fact that Pokémon doesn't usually develop characters a lot, Pryce is very well done.

But he is not too strong. The only real problem for Gracie is his surviving Psychic, and setting up Hail. Other than that, his Pokémon do not cause any trouble.

But something else does.

And that is Team Rocket.

Again.

Team Rocket will attack the Radio Tower, leading to the final true dungeon of the game. It makes sense gameplay wise, but I may as well point out how badly it was executed. In the originals, the Radio Tower was completely optional up until this point, so the player would have no reason to go there. Furthermore, the game only gives a hint that something is happening with the radio broadcasts, not the player has to go to the Tower. The only other hint that the player receives is that if they try to go to the higher floors before this event, there will be told only authorized personal can go up. But there's still no reason to relate it to this event.

And before the Radio Tower, more story.

Will and Karen show Gracie a ruined area, and Gracie is confused. She's also horrified at seeing the destruction, and wonders what could do this. Karen gravely replies that it is Team Rocket. She explains that a great battle took place here, one in which many young Trainers fought against the evil team. Gracie asks if they were friends, and Karen replies that they hardly knew each other. It's common for young Trainers to fight against criminal organizations, because they have the mistaken belief that the Elite Four won't do anything. Gracie replies, "Won't you?" Karen replies, "Of course we will, but in the end, there's only so much we can do. That's why there's so many vigilantes around. They are children with dreams of grandeur, but it often ends badly…" Gracie shudders, knowing where the story is going, but has the courage to ask. "So what happened here?" Karen shakes her head. It ended badly. The children were strong, and united in their desire to stop Team Rocket, but all that could only go so far. The battle was fierce; the children were caught unprepared. Although they were able to do damage, Team Rocket turned out be stronger. All the children were either injured or killed. All, except one."

Gracie's eyes grow wide. "Who?" Karen replies, although she does not answer directly. "As far as the League was concerned, the Trainer was an adult, but as far as those who knew her were concerned, she was still a child. This trainer had recently started her journey, but had already befriended gods. Some even claimed she was strong as the Champion… She was…" Gracie replies breathlessly. "The Mold Breaker." She wonders if she's going to hear another story about the Mold Breaker's power, but Karen still looks grave. Even the Mold Breaker did not escape completely unscathed. While she herself was unhurt, there was a final battle that devastated this place. And in the chaos that was a Pokémon. The Mold Breaker couldn't save it, and watched as it died a horrible death. Not much is known about specifics, but what is known is that the Pokémon's name is Levi. Gracie lets out a gasp, as she realizes that Levi was the same spirit that played with her at Lavender's Tower. She remembers the ominous words "Save my trainer.", and wonders how long Levi has been worrying. Gracie shudders as she also wonders if this was what Levi was referring to.

Gracie asks what happened, and Karen replies the Pokémon that died was the Mold Breaker's first, and she treated it like her best friend. After it was gone, she was never the same. From then on, she swore revenge against all evil teams and would do stop at nothing to destroy them. Even if it meant endangering herself and others… From all I know, she still carries a grudge, and will keep it with her until the day she herself dies." Gracie trembles as she remembers Archer, and thinks that the Mold Breaker may indeed be the one that killed him. "So do you believe…" Will and Karen nod. "We believe she is the one that killed Archer, and started a lot of the trouble here. Will and I were both at the scene, trying to clean up the mess. Falkner was there too, doing his duty as a police officer. He knows the story as well as we do."

Gracie shakes her head, thinking that the Mold Breaker who saved others and including her cannot be a murderer. But if she is, then how is she supposed to protect her? She thinks about the prophecy she was given about the one who would destroy everything, and wonders if this is what it was referring to. Gracie still acts shocked, surprised that the Mold Breaker would do all this over losing a Pokémon. Karen replies that grief does strange things to people, and the Mold Breaker always had a temper. Perhaps she lost herself in her anger.

After, Gracie turns to leave.

And that wraps up Mahogany. Not sure how I would fit Pyrce in there, but I suspect he would be interested in watching Gracie.

I'm not sure how I would write the Radio Tower, because the events during it have already taken place by the time Gracie's story starts. Perhaps she sees a dream sequence or vision of the past of Kristine taking out the Rockets and fighting in the Radio Tower. The vision would then when Kristine killed Archer. But that also brings up the question of how Gracie would battle… The Radio Tower can't be skipped, because there's a large amount of experience and lore there… Maybe Gracie's trip to the tower is a vision where she is Kristine's body, and feels the anger and emotions that she felt. But the same time, Gracie realizes how twisted and wrong they are, and now Kristine's ignoring that her anger can lead her into trouble… It would make the fighting make more sense, but it also makes the whole scene rather creepy…

Anyway, speaking of fighting, it's time for the Radio Tower.

And for an event that has no impact. In the original versions of the games, the player could just storm the Radio Tower and begin the dungeon. In the remakes, they have to do a bit more. There is a Team Rocket costume in the Underground that people can put on for fun. The player has to grab the costume, and try to march through the Tower. However, they only get a little bit past the entrance before they are unmasked by Silver and forced to fight.

While I find this event is interesting and fighting as Team Rocket would be cool, it ultimately has no purpose. The player only takes a few steps in, and then the dungeon proceeds like a normal one. And even with the event, the beginning is almost the same as the original games. No one even references what happened. I feel like the Rocket event could completely be removed and nothing would change, especially since the player does perfectly fine without the suit when they're storming the place and the originals. I have to admit the clothing looks awesome. Furthermore, the lines from NPCs when the player is dressed up are excellent and feel realistic, but it doesn't really add anything to the story because the event is so short… Also, because it requires a bit of backtracking that wasn't there before, it just feels like extra padding… Maybe the developers just wanted to use for the Rocket suit for a practical purpose, but it's still not very practical…

Nevertheless, time to go in.

The battles aren't a problem other than Power Point issues. I also have to say that I really like the Radio Tower. The player is battling in ton of intruders to save a bunch more people, and it still has the sense of urgency. There is also difficulty (provided the player is not over leveled). The Radio Tower really fits the feel of a final dungeon, much more so than the _actual_ final dungeons do…

The last battle here is Petrel. Normally, he's fairly difficult, packing Pokémon with powerful Poison Type moves and the ability to cause explosions. But since Gracie is an oveleveled Psychic Type, she beats him easily.

And I head down to the underground with a key to save the Director.

 _And then_ I have trouble with another battle.

Silver.

He has the same Pokémon as usual, but with a new addition; Sneasel. Sneasel goes down in one hit to Fighting Type moves, but that's only if my Fighting Type moves can actually strike…

Which they don't.

Focus Blast continues to miss, and Sneasel gets in an Icy Wind. This doesn't do much damage, but lowers Gracie's speed.

Which allows Sneasel to almost go in for the kill.

It then uses Feint Attack, which is a physical move and super effective against Gracie. Gracie gets injured by only two strikes, repeatedly missing with Focus Blast. Eventually, she lands a hit, but not before being brought down to yellow health…

Thankfully, I have healing items.

Other than Magnemite using Thunder Wave, there aren't any more issues.

But I decide to stop anyway.

The next area can be difficult, and there's quite a story involved with the last Badge.

So next time, I will finish up of the Radio Tower, head off to get the final badge, and start the arc's conclusion.


	20. Dragon's Nest

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **20: Dragon's Nest**

 **Day 19: March 3, 2018: Johto**

Okay, getting close to the game finale! But first, a bit of lore.

One involves something after the end of Gracie's story.

Originally, Gracie starts the next book with her default moveset. However, she is able to pull off many close victories because of her experience from before. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that this would not make sense, mainly because of the way battles can go (e.g. Gracie finds herself up against someone with the Type advantage, but only has her default set, and is therefore unable to fight efficiently). It also creates some continuity errors. For example, Gracie starts with Moonblast from X and Y onward once she reaches her final stage. However, since gameplay has her start in her basic stage, she gets Dazzling Gleam instead. Based on the rules of Usurping, she should start with Moonblast, but it makes no sense because she only ever starts with Dazzling Gleam in her own story…

Therefore, I have come up with a solution. The others figure out that Gracie loses all of her moves and other things not related to her default set. However, she does _not_ lose the knowledge of how to use these moves. Someone points out that they could simply reteach Gracie all the moves she's lost, but then it's also pointed out that it's not worth it because the light will depower her anyway. At the end of the last run, the others are able to determine that the one with the light has moved onto a different target, and no longer cares about Gracie or depowering her. The person has realized that Gracie can do much of anything, and has already tried to kill her and did not succeed.

So someone, probably Phoebe, makes an effort to go get all the moves that Gracie lost, and give them back to her. It probably won't do much for level up sets. However, it is does make Gracie a lot stronger and able to take on many different types. Gracie is shocked, saying that the person didn't have to do this, but they reply that after all she's been through, she still needs all the help she can get. It's also worth noting that Pokémon with special moves have existed for as long as the series has been going, so something like this would not be far-fetched.

Another lore update has to do with Jasmine. Originally, I was unsure how to get her close to the protagonist, like she was in the original. But now I have a way. I mentioned Jasmine has a mischievous student called Janina, and the latter is already confirmed to travel with Usurping's protagonist for some time. It's also implied that she is not legal training age yet, so in this version she isn't. Janina generally misbehaves, and is later revealed that she ran off and began to train before she was legally allowed to. Eventually, she is caught by Jasmine. She has a very light punishment in the anime (where she was only caught cheating in battle, and seemed not to understand why there was anything wrong). In this version, the punishment, and the crimes, are much more serious.

Janina is effectively grounded by Jasmine, unable to train any Pokémon unless Jasmine supervises her (or even own any Pokémon under her name). When Janina finally is old enough to become a Pokémon trainer, Jasmine continues to supervise her, taking control of the journey, with everything subject to her approval (unless Janina earns some freedom back). Jasmine decides they should start the journey in Kanto, mainly because there is a new professor that needs help. Janina has no choice but to agree, or not go on a journey.

That's how they end up meeting the protagonist of Usurping, and becoming a part of her journey. Janina is like a ward, and the professor wants to study the relationship because the concept is fairly new. This happens even though Janina is too young for the study. The concept of wards and supervisors is put forth in the middle of Mold Breaker. By this time, many horrible things to happen to young trainers, and people want to make sure they are safer. So having Janina be Jasmine's ward during Usurping enforces those ideas.

As for who would take over the Gym in Jasmine's absence, it's implied that she has someone doing it because she's away from it a lot in canon. I can think of a canon character, but seeing as Jasmine has no Gym Trainers, it might also be an OC. She's mentioned as having a lot of apprentices in the anime, but only Janina is seen. It's also interesting because Janina is similar to the original incarnation of Usurping's protagonist. Unfortunately, since she doesn't have the power to back up what she's doing, she suffers grave consequences. Janina also gets a punishment similar to Holly, but her character development is planned to go in a different direction. Interestingly, there's another character winding up in a situation where they are someone's ward. The character is planned to start in a different region, and the reasons for this situation happening are slightly different. I don't know if the two will meet each other…

It's also worth knowing that even though Jasmine's situation is solved, there's another character that's close to the original protagonist from Usurping, and I have how to adapt the closeness to the new version… Of course, that character is coming up…

But I have to finish the Radio Tower first.

Now, I'm in the Goldenrod Underground, and it has one of the more annoying puzzles in the game. There's three switches that the player has to flip, and these switches will open and close doors. If the switches are pressed in the correct order, the player can proceed. The annoying part comes in because the game isn't very good about telling the player what order the switches need to be in, and there are a lot of different combinations…

But after enough stumbling around, I should be able to figure it out.

And I get the doors on my first try.

Somehow.

Anyway, time to beat up some easy trainers, and rescue the Director. A quick zip up the stairs, and I'm in the basement of the Pokémon Mart. That always surprised me for some reason… And I also found it creepy… Perhaps because it's rather unexpected…

Anyway, time to finish off the Radio Tower.

Proton and Arianna are here as well, but at usual, they're pretty weak.

The real focus is Archer. He's a bit of a conundrum, because he is a lot more underdeveloped than other leaders. In fact, this is his first and last appearance, despite apparently being the leader of the resurrected Team Rocket. I feel like the Team Rocket arc as a whole wasn't done very well, just because the leaders and their underlings are too underdeveloped to give their actions much meaning. Archer especially suffers from this, with his underlings appearing more than he does. Furthermore, even with villains like Giovanni operating in the background, there was always this ominous presence. Archer doesn't have that, even though it's implied he was operating in the background the whole game. It's probably because he doesn't have the strength to back it up. Archer appears so little that's easy to forget he exists. Someone like Arianna or even Proton would have made a much better leader simply because they appear more. Not to mention they clearly know how to intimidate others and use power…

It also really makes the Team Rocket arc seem rushed, as well. This is because rather than people talking about the villains and otherwise being wary of them, it just seems like the villains commit small time crimes, everyone goes about their lives, and then there's another random assault coming out of nowhere… The Radio Tower is a perfect example of this, with it not connected to anything unless the player activates a hard-to-find event (and even then, it still doesn't seem to amount to much). This is especially jarring because the games before this remake also had around four villains operating at once. The games did a good job at developing those villains by making them appear intimidating and often (bonus points for the remakes of one of those games doing that even better). But this one just doesn't do that, and what story it does have falls flat… It's a shame, because there's a lot of potential for Archer and his group, but it just wasn't used…

Which is why the Traveler series fixes that.

In this series, Team Rocket is a lot more dangerous, and Archer being their new leader strikes fear into the hearts of many people. The protagonist of Usurping knows how brutal they are, and how much power Archer represents. Which is why she thinks if she kills him, Team Rocket will suffer a lot of damage and disperse. Not to mention that he is implied to be the one behind the operation that got her Pokémon killed…

Except she hadn't expected Arianna to take over the operation because she was Archer's wife… She also didn't expect the commotion to bring Giovanni out of training… Or for him to be planning to rejoin his team and do so successfully only because her actions spurred him on…

And she also didn't expect these actions to put the overarching villain's plan into motion, however indirectly…

So since both she and Red are stronger than the average Trainer. Team Rocket is motivated to come up with more powerful, crueler, strategic, and covert ways to defeat them… And since the civilians have no defense against this power, they are the ones that suffer…

So Archer goes from being fairly unimportant to setting a lot of events in motion.

Even when he is not alive.

But that is neither here nor there.

Now I have to face him.

Archer is a bit worrying, mainly because he has two Pokémon called Houndour and Houndoom. These Pokémon are fast, and Gracie is weak to some of their moves. The only thing I have to hit them with is the inaccurate Focus Blast.

Luckily, Focus Blast hits Houndour. Unfortunately, it misses Houndoom. The opponent gets in a Feint Attack, but Gracie is fine. She defeats it with Focus Blast the next turn.

And now I get the Silver Wing. This is needed to summon the mascot legendary, Lugia. There is another wing that will also summon Ho-oh, but I won't be getting it in this run. Gracie will get both wings at the same time in her story, but she will also get them a bit later on.

Anyway, time to get moving to Blackthorn.

The route there is nothing special, but it is home to the most annoying dungeon in the game.

The Ice Path.

The Ice path is one of many dungeons that has sliding ice puzzles. They make the player go in one direction until they head something. And these are much more complicated than the ones with Pyrce. I went the wrong direction so many times that even after many playthroughs, there was a long time where I couldn't get through even one ice puzzle without a guide… Even now, I still have trouble finding the solution…

And that's not even counting what happens after this…

There are more puzzles, ones where the player must push boulders into holes in order to create platforms. If the player messes up, they have to fall through one of the holes and climb back up to repeat the process… I fell through so many times in my runs it's a wonder my character didn't die… It still ends up being a problem even when I replay the game… However, this _did_ translate to something in Traveler.

In Usurping, the main character is revealed to have a fear of ice, and it's stated that she did not have that fear when she started her journey. It's revealed in Mold Breaker that she was trying to skate across ice to get through the Ice Path. However, she accidentally skates onto thinner ice, and falls through. Luckily, Miranda and the Kimono Girl there rush to her aid, and she makes a complete recovery. Unfortunately, she develops a fear of ice and falling through it ever since.

I also mentioned a Kimono Girl here. This is a scene that is not in the original games, and it's a bit bizarre. One of the Kimono Girls is frozen to the ice, and needs the player's help to get off of it. The thing that makes this rather odd is that if she's so frozen that she's stuck to the ice, wouldn't she be dead? Nevertheless, I decide to work a variation of this into Traveler. The same Kimono Girl turns out to be good at skating, and takes Gracie safely across the ice. She also tells Gracie the story about the Mold Breaker, and how she fell through the ice, but survived.

Also, the HM Waterfall is here. It's required to be the final battle of both parts, but it also can be completely missed… So it's not impossible for the player to get all the way to the final battle, realized that they missed the item, and have to go back… Luckily, the remakes are better at this, with someone telling the player that Waterfall is there…

So, I make mistakes on the boulder puzzle a few times, but I manage to get through the path.

And now I'm at it; the final Gym.

Blackthorn.

It is Gym so dangerous that Pokémon cannot walk around it, and lava is everywhere. How the player deals with the lava depends on the game. In the originals, they used Strength to move boulders in order to block some of lava and make a path. In the remakes, there are platforms that can be moved around. These platforms must be used to traverse the lava, and make a path to the Leader.

So, let us begin.

Luckily, the Trainers are easy. Hilariously, there's a Dragonair that survives an attack, but uses Agility instead of an offensive move… It's also worth noting that most Trainers use Water Type Pokémon, mainly because of a lack of dragons in the Johto games… That makes things even easier. Therefore, it's not long before I make it to Clair.

And, boy, do I have a lot to say about her.

One is that she's probably one of my favorite of the Gym Leaders. Her personality was a refreshing change from the other Gym Leaders introduced at the time (and still is). She's aggressive, but not bratty. Plus, unlike most other examples, Clair has more than enough power to back her aggressiveness up. This is solidified by her being one of the toughest Gym Leaders in the series. Not to mention that the time she was introduced, she was one of the few Gym Leaders that could be seen leading a life outside her Gym. Specifically, she was preparing to inherit the Blackthorn Clan and take charge of all Dragon Trainers. This is because the person who would've inherited, Lance, is busy with the Championship.

It's also interesting, because Clair is one of the few Gym Leaders in the canon series to make the player go on a side quest before she hands out the Badge. She claims it's because the player has become arrogant and lazy, and she says with that attitude, they're not ready for the League. The interesting thing with this is that Clair's Gym is one of the last in the main game. Since Johto is one of the easier regions in the series, the player will most likely not have had a difficult time before reaching her. So it is _entirely possible_ that the player become arrogant and lazy upon meeting Clair, or at least, it's easy to envision them being that way… The anime toned down the aggressiveness, while the manga kept it intact. The side quest was removed in both, and Clair just immediately gives out the Badge.

And it's because of all these traits that Clair plays a huge role in both Traveler's current and original incarnation.

In the original incarnation, Clair knew the protagonist. She also knew Jasmine, although it was unknown how well. The original story upped the aggressiveness, to the point where Clair solved everything that way. Needless to say, she and the protagonist did not get along.

It was to be revealed in a prequel that the protagonist did defeat her in battle. However, she won using underhanded tactics, and Clair refused to give her the Badge. As a result, she sent her on the side quest mentioned before. However, the protagonist nearly dies, and only saved because one of her Pokémon was uninjured and was able to go get help. Clair realizes that it was far too dangerous to send the protagonist on the quest, and gives her the Badge. However, she still doesn't acknowledge the protagonist's victory, and hopes the behavior will change.

When they meet again at the beginning of the original book, Clair and the protagonist are rather bitter towards each other. Clair fears her power, but tries to change the behavior forcefully after the protagonist hurts Ash's Pokémon. Unfortunately, she is a little too extreme, the protagonist escapes, and in the end, Clair is punished. Also, the original book implies that Clair was only being as aggressive as she was because she cared about the protagonist and her future. Unfortunately, the end of the book was rather bleak, as upon joining Ash's group, it becomes clear that the others just want to use her for her talents, and her behavioral issues are still not resolved.

It was interesting because the story was one of the first deconstructions I ever wrote, long before I even knew what a deconstruction was. This story deconstructs sending Trainers to faraway places they knew nothing about, and what happens when one refuses to acknowledge a loss (or refuses to honestly earn a win). It also deconstructs the sense of entitlement Trainers can realistically develop. This is because the original protagonist's power and simply being given Badges for it leads to having a sense of entitlement and doing anything she wants for a win (or anything else). But since the Pokémon society is only focused around the strongest battlers, no one calls her on it, and her future is uncertain.

The Traveler series _also_ deconstructs Clair's entire arc, but in a different way. This deconstruction involves the aforementioned side quest, so I will get to battling first.

Unfortunately, Clair gives me a run for my money. Most of her Pokémon are easy, but her final one is Kingdra.

And it is anything _but_ easy.

It uses Smokescreen, which causes Gracie to miss twice with Psychic (after her opponent survives one). As a result, she takes both a Hyper Beam and Hydro Pump, getting weakened. Luckily, I'm able to heal, and Psychic hits the final time.

Now, off to the Dragon's Den.

Gracie has to take the test of the Dragon Masters. Luckily, it's easy. It's just answering a few questions, and then Clair comes up and gives up the badge.

Except, I have a problem with this.

Frankly, it doesn't make any sense.

The test of the Dragon Masters is supposed to be very hard, to the point where Clair admitted she couldn't pass it on the first try (or in the originals, she hasn't passed it _at all_ by the time the player has). However, it's very easy, so Clair should have no difficulty passing it. The test is about caring for Pokémon, and the game tries to act like Clair doesn't care for them. But there's nothing to suggest she doesn't, since being aggressive is not the same as being uncaring.

Furthermore, Clair knows the customs of the Blackthorn Dragon Clan, so she should know a lot more about what the test entails than a random child from New Bark… And she would have a much easier time with it… Not to mention that the originals imply that one could not be called a Dragon Master without passing the test. Since Clair hasn't passed the test at all in the originals, she's not called a Dragon Master. But she spent her life training dragons and learning the customs of Blackthorn, so she _should be_ a Dragon Master. In comparison, the player doesn't know any of the customs of the city, and it's likely their first time using a dragon is right after this test.

So the whole quest is nonsensical.

Which is why it was changed greatly in Traveler.

In Traveler, the protagonist is going through period of time where she is incredibly vicious. She defeats Clair, but almost kills her Pokémon. Clair is reluctant to let a Trainer like that into the League, so she orders her to take the test in the Dragon's Den. In this version, the test is much more difficult and consists of four parts. The first part is the verbal quiz that's given in the game. The second part is having the Trainer battle in front of the elders, preferably using a Dragon at least once. The third part is observing how a Trainer raises their other Pokémon (Dragons from other regions and other forms of surveillance are used). In the final part of the test, the Trainer is given a young Dragon. The same surveillance from the last part is used to watch the trainer raises the new Pokémon. In the case that any of these cannot be fulfilled (e.g. someone has already raised a Dragon, or would be difficult to track progress), searching through memories with proper consent, viewing, and guarding against lies suffices.

Unfortunately, the protagonist fails the Dragon user test. Clair still is reluctant to give her Badge, but knows that she will just wander around, unable to get to Johto's League without it. Therefore, at the protagonist's request, Clair takes her on as an apprentice. Clair hopes to educate her about the customs of their clan and also hopes that she can rid her of the viciousness. Unfortunately, the protagonist retains her viciousness and still does not pass the test. Clair is heartbroken, deciding to give her the right to access the League, but not the Badge itself. The protagonist does not pass the test until just before the final battle in Mold Breaker. Clair herself administers it at that point. She is rather worried, when, upon finally passing, the protagonist simply says "Now I can fight without fear."

Unfortunately, even though Clair was close to the protagonist in the original work, I have no idea how to replicate the closeness besides what she does in Mold Breaker. Perhaps she won't be that close in this version…

Anyway, it's time to get back to New Bark to take on the League. There's a new route that's opened up, Route 45. It's mostly for training, and has to be traversed at least three times to battle all the Trainers. However, I just decide to skip over now since Gracie, a few levels higher than the final boss's strongest Pokémon, doesn't need any more training.

Except I need to do one more quest.

And that is to battle the Kimono Girls. There are five of them, and they all have high-level evolutions of Eevee.

Unfortunately, they are somewhat difficult.

There is a Flareon, who burns Gracie with Will-O-Wisp. A Jolteon attacks her with Thunderbolt, and a Vaporeon weakens her with Surf. Luckily, I'm still able to defeat them.

And now I am off to the Whirl Islands.

Otherwise known as the place where I always get lost.

There are four islands, and each is a different entrance. The player has to enter at the right place and navigate their way through in order to proceed. However, what makes this difficult is that there are many traps in the way. This traps include boulders that need to be moved and darkness that needs to be lit up. And if the player goes to the wrong island, they have to crawl back out and start again. I happen to do this twice.

Eventually, I make it.

I may as well explain something I brought up before. I mentioned that Gracie would be doing both of the fights against the mascots in her story, because the fights mostly the same. This is because of another event.

The Master Ball.

The Master Ball is handed out right before this event begins. Unless the player is planning on using it on one of the roaming legendary Pokémon, they will probably use it here. Otherwise, the fight is pretty difficult, with the mascots doing a lot of damage and able to heal themselves. The only saving grace is the low Power Points. However, that's not much of a reassurance if the player is trying to catch them and before they destroy themselves with Struggle's recoil…

Anyway, I am using Master Ball here to save time. The cutscene before this of the Kimono Girls dancing is always very cool… Too bad cut scenes can't be replayed… Not to mention the music throughout the event is incredible…

Anyway, there's a bit of story. Gracie sees Lugia and Ho-oh at their respective places, being found worthy. Each battles her and gives her a wing. Lugia's allows the wielder to brave any storm, without even a hint of drowning. It also allows the wielder to swim anywhere, no matter how strong the water is or how weak they are.

Ho-oh's wing allows the wielder to be brought back from the dead, regardless of what killed them. However, both wings work only once. Gracie gets a psychic vision, telling her to find the other wielder of the two wings. Gracie is confused, not knowing anyone like that. She resolves to ask Morty, but wonders based on her previous interactions if that is a good idea. Gracie eventually does ask him, but he acts distressed. She resolves not to push him any further, and moves on.

So now I'm finally on the route to the League. It's interesting as the routes by the League take place in Kanto. However, the game (or the remakes, at least) counts them as Johto. It also allows the player to fly home from there, when they can't do that once they hit Kanto. I find the whole thing a bit odd, because these places are not referenced at all in the Kanto games. Furthermore, they are considered the last part of the Johto half. Therefore, the Traveler series just has them be in Johto.

Down the route Gracie goes. Other than being long, the place is really nothing special. The music is great, though.

And I enter Victory Road.

Although it's not much, either.

Unlike most other games, Victory Road has no Trainers. It's implied Silver already passed through here, and defeated them all. He appears at the end and attacks the player.

Luckily, Silver's easy and the place is short.

Which means I am at the Pokémon League.

And let me rant how easy it is for a Psychic Type to take on this place. Two of the members are weak to Psychic type attacks. Giving a Psychic Type Electric, Fighting, and Ghost Type attacks will allow them to single-handedly tear through pretty much everyone in this place. It's even possible to do that with a psychic that can be captured early on (Alakazam). So Gracie has almost the perfect moveset here, and Elite Four should not be too tough.

First up, Will.

I've mentioned him before, but I haven't talked about him yet. He's okay, but it don't like him as much as the other psychics. It's mainly because his underdeveloped and seems weaker. His appearances in other games, such as Stadium 2, implies he is easy-going and likes to joke around. However, this is never expanded upon other than his battle quotes, so it's unknown if this is indeed the case. Pokémon Special assumes it is, even though he's actually antagonistic there. He likes to trick his opponents, and plays jokes at the expense of his enemies in that story. Also worth noting he joins the main villain out of boredom, but it seems rather out of character for him… He's not shown being bored easily…

Also, all of his Pokémon are taken down by Shadow Ball. Case in point. Gracie tries to learn Hypnosis, but I don't let her. Also worth noting that earlier on, she tried to learn Captivate, but did not.

Next up is Koga. Didn't get a chance to talk about him that much, so I will now. I'm not particularly fond of Koga, but I do like the ninja theme and the traps. The reason I dislike him as nothing to do with his character. Rather, it's because he has two of the most annoying battles in the series. His battles in the main games involve him weakening the player's Pokémon with status moves. This can be very draining on resources, especially the player doesn't know about this beforehand (like me in my earlier playthroughs). His battles in Stadium are even worse. Koga's strategy there is to raise his own team's evasiveness so they cannot be hit, _and then_ slam the player with status moves. And due to the way Stadium works, items and outleveling are not options… I'm a bit surprised Pokémon Special made him a villain, however. Despite being crafty, he doesn't show even the slightest indication of being villainous in other media… And he shown to care for his family, so he betrays the League, they're affected too… Oddly enough, his daughter seems to know what's going on, but doesn't seem do anything about it…

Regardless of all this, I have to battle.

All of Koga Pokémon go down to Psychic. Aside from Fortress, which goes down to Focus Blast.

Bruno is up next. Aside from adding Hitmontop, he hasn't changed, and falls to Psychic.

The last of the Elite Four is Karen. She's one of my favorite members of the Elite Four, and an interesting character. Unlike other Dark type users, she is not creepy or fighting dirty, but rather calm and composed. Karen enjoys Pokémon with a wild nature, but there's nothing to suggest she's ruthless. She also believes that every Pokémon can be viable, and the distinction of strong and weak is only because of their Trainers. Karen even goes so far as to call these distinctions selfish, and encourages the player to win with their favorites. Her words really struck a chord in the fandom, to the point where people that believe the same philosophy as she does are sometimes called Kareners.

Really, Karen is a character that could have benefited from more development. It would have been interesting to see if she actually retained her philosophy, because as an Elite Four member, she would be fighting in the higher levels of battles. And that would require her to use competitive sets, which means she would have to abandon her favorites… I just wish that there would be a cameo, to flesh out her character. Or even if she would have represented the Johto Elite Four in the anime, rather than Lance… It was interesting, because there was no representation of the Johto Elite Four or Champions in Unova's Pokémon World Tournament. This is despite there being representatives of every other generation (well, Lance was there, but he's considered Kanto). In the magna, Karen is actually on the enemy side. However, it makes a lot of sense because she would be the type to get bored by regular life. This is simply because she seen as a bit more wild… However, Karen not very hyper or risk-taking, so she might not act like that. In the original version of Traveler, Karen is best known for her calm composure.

In the original, Karen worked to defuse arguments, and also tried to help Agatha after she was injured. Worth noting that Karen's Pokémon was the one that unintentionally injured Agatha. Karen's Houndoom was running around spooking everyone, and Agatha tried to grab it… Unfortunately, Houndoom got badly startled when Agatha touched it, turning around and biting her… Funnily enough, I didn't plan to have the scene make that much sense… Karen just had a Houndoom, and that seemed like the most likely Pokémon to unintentionally injure someone… Karen still plays a large role in the new version of the Traveler series, but I'm not quite exactly sure what that role will be.

Anyway, time to battle.

It's worth noting Karen doesn't have many Dark Type Pokémon, because only a few existed in the original games. If she is rematched in the postgame, Karen has a proper team of Dark Type Pokémon, since many more were introduced since.

Anyway, the battle is easy thanks to Focus Blast. I have a few problems with Focus Blast hitting, and get hit by Feint Attack. However, it's not that much of an issue, and the rest of her team is weak to Psychic. As a result, I finish the battle with almost all HP remaining.

And the Champion is Lance.

As I mentioned before, this fight is bit tougher than in the Kanto games. His Dragonair have all evolved into Dragonite, and know proper Dragon type moves even in the original games. The rest of his team isn't bad either, containing powerful Pokémon with very good movesets. On top of that, the Johto games don't have a lot of access to Ice Type moves. What _is_ there is difficult to find. Not to mention that if the player doesn't level extra, Lance will almost always be much stronger than they are at this point. His Pokémon are in the high 40s to low 50s, while the player's are expected to be in the _mid 30s_ provided no extra training has been done.

All this makes Lance quite difficult.

But I'm sure Gracie can take him.

And she does.

Or tries to.

His Gyarados is up first. It survives a Psychic and hits Gracie with a Waterfall. The next opponent is Areodactyl. It outspeeds Gracie and can hit her with Crunch. She's weak to it, and takes a lot of damage. She manages to injure Areodactyl with Psychic, but on the next turn, both are forced to heal. Gracie takes out her opponent in two more turns, but is in the red and has to heal before she can damage Charizard.

Unfortunately, I'm all out of Psychics, and I am forced to use Shadow Ball. Charizard also has Shadow Claw. Gracie is weak to this attack, and it also has a high critical hit ratio. One hit puts Gracie down into yellow health. If the opponent gets a critical hit, she's doomed.

Except Charizard doesn't get one.

Instead, Gracie does.

The fire lizard is down, but now the dragons have emerged from their lairs…

Lance has three Dragonites, and they are all packing good moves… To make it worse, Gracie is injured... Pity the Fairy type doesn't exist yet. Although I assume Lance would have some counter for that, especially since poisonous dragons were introduced in the same generation…

The Dragonite sent out happens to be his strongest one, and it immediately goes into the powerful move Outrage. Outrage immediately puts Gracie into yellow health. The flipside is that after three turns or so, Dragonite will be confused. After that, it can damage itself, giving Gracie a chance to strike back.

Unfortunately, I don't get lucky.

Dragonite defeats Gracie with a critical hit, and I have to try again… Interestingly, that's the most common way lose against Lance… His Dragonite is devastating…

I wonder how I would write any defeats I do have. Probably that Gracie gets injured, retreats, and uses a Revive on herself. If I did bring any HM Pokémon along, I would've been able to use a Revive.

But I did not, as per the rules.

Or, defeats might be written out as someone rescuing Gracie, or even just translated into serious injuries that are eventually recovered from. I'm just glad I didn't do one of those runs where a Pokémon fainting means that the solo ends… That would have been devastating, and situations like this are the reason why… Anyway, back in to battle I go.

The second battle is just as crazy. I found out I have a few items that increase stats in my bag. I quickly give Gracie a boost in defense, special attack, and the ability to ward off status changes for five turns. The opponent keeps using Waterfall, and I eventually fight back with Psychic. However, I still only weaken my opponent, and they heal.

There's also a time where _I_ heal because I am hit by a critical hit. The mist wears off before I can get to Areodactyl, but I manage to win without losing any defense.

Then comes the true test; Dragonite.

I steel myself, fully prepared to take Outrage.

But instead it opts for Safeguard.

Which is probably the most bizarre thing ever.

I defeat it and one of his other Dragonites that misses a Dragon Rush.

Now I'm on his final one.

That one uses Thunder Wave, after barely surviving a Psychic.

I'm thinking I can go in for the kill.

Except I don't.

Dragon Rush hits.

And criticals.

Time to try again.

The final time, Gracie goes on a rampage.

I think she must want revenge.

I dump my stat boosters into Gracie, taking the hits from Waterfall. I also have enough time to set up the mist that prevents stat reduction.

I expect Gyarados to barely survive a hit from Psychic.

Instead, it's instantly defeated by a critical.

Lance sends out Areodactyl, who doesn't do much damage with Crunch and can't lower my stats. Gracie takes it out with Psychic too.

The next one to come in is his infamous Dragonite. Outrage doesn't do much damage and Gracie destroys it with two hits. The next one doesn't even try to attack, as Gracie immediately defeats it with another Psychic. The final Dragon pulls off a Thunder Wave, but the two of us heal before Gracie ends the battle with one hit.

I wonder I'm going to write this, because Gracie doesn't have fairy power yet. Perhaps she senses some latent strength against dragons, and uses it with the psychic power she _does_ know…

In any case, I'm quite shocked as Lance is defeated.

Gracie finishes the game at level 62, with the moves Psychic, Hyper Beam, Focus Blast, and Shadow Ball. Her final item is a Shell Bell.

And as I am inducted into the Hall of Champions, I stop to think about the Johto remakes.

As far as remakes go, the Johto ones are fantastic. They fixed most of the problems the original games had and added some cool new areas. They also added a lot of things that didn't make it into the originals (many being key factors to the series, such as the Safari Zone and means to find fossils) while still capturing the spirit of the games that were remade from. The remakes also expanded on many different aspects, such as character development through optional conversations, making it possible to capture all legendary Pokémon that were not in the National Dex, and bringing back Kanto in full form for the postgame. Not to mention the games are gorgeous even with the advent of 3-D graphics, and the music is also very good.

The Johto games are not without their flaws, however.

One is that the original games have not aged well, and thus, there is a limit to how well these can do. By that, I mean many of the character arcs are still very rushed, some of the new characters are still underdeveloped, and the main game (meaning, not Kanto) still feels pretty short. The game itself is also fairly easy (Champion fight notwithstanding) and getting to the higher levels is still an issue. The remakes try to make more resources available before the second half, but many moves, Pokémon, and optional conversations are still locked behind there. Some character arcs, such as Silver's and Eusine's, don't even _finish_ until the second half. This is despite the fact that players could very well skip over this part of the game. And what really makes that annoying is that some of these arcs could have been could have stayed in Johto and be used to flesh it out even more.

Part of me wonders if the second half is the reason why Johto has so many rushed aspects. The developers also needed to make room for Kanto and also expand on it… It almost makes me wonder what would've happened if the developers followed their original plan of removing Kanto entirely… Then again, seeing as Kanto was added late into the original games, removing it might not have changed much… Maybe, if Johto is ever remade again, both regions will be polished up. But, seeing as the originals just came out on Virtual Console, that may not be for a while…

As for the arc itself, it was a lot darker than I was expecting. This was because Mold Breaker's tale began to intertwine with Gracie's, and the Mold Breaker's story is probably the darkest in the series... But considering the Mold Breaker's meant to deconstruct almost the entire Pokémon world, it's not surprising… It's worth noting that Hoenn is also as far as the original story got, so there probably won't be too many comparisons made after that. The Johto arc will most likely rely heavily on story, though, since the battles were done pretty quickly.

Now, to post the second arc and begin third. As always, there will be a bit of a wait between the second arc and the third, but it will be longer because I am posting this arc all at once. The third arc will be nowhere near as merciful, as I prepare for what may be my greatest challenge yet…

However, I know no matter how difficult the journey is, Gracie will see it through to the end.

The challenge, and her story, will make it so.


	21. Two of a Kind

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **21\. Two of a Kind**

 **Day 20 (March 11, 2018): Hoenn**

Welcome back to another episode of the Gracie channel!

Before I get going, a quick addendum to the rules.

I originally said that I was going to only play one game per region. There is a region that is an exception, and that is Unova.

I am planning on doing the one of the first games, Pokémon Black, and then I'm planning on doing one of the sequels, Pokémon White 2. This is mainly because the two games play off of each other. However, there are a few exclusive battles in the prequel, and I haven't done the prequels in a while. Typically, the two games that are played are direct sequels, but I chose not to do that. Mainly, this is because it well make more sense in Traveler. As for why, I will explain it later.

But there is some difficulties I must prepare for.

Unova is ruthless for throwing Dark Types at the player early on, before they have access to any other moves. In the sequels, this is not an issue because the game gives the player a weak attacking TM near the start. Unfortunately, item randomization is not an option, so I can't force Gracie to have another attacking move in the prequels. Luckily, Gracie goes has moves that boost her own stats and lower her opponents'. By the time there is the first mandatory fight against a Dark Type, it's possible to buy enough Potions to outlast foes. In a test run, I was able to successfully clear the first mandatory fight against one of these Pokémon. However, I am not sure how the rest of the game will go, and I probably won't know for a while.

There's also something else that comes up.

And that is something called Liberty Island.

Liberty Island is a place only accessible in the prequels, and it's only done via a real-life event. However, the place leads to several battles, and a Pokémon that can only be caught there.

Unfortunately, I have trouble getting it to work. No matter what I do, I cannot seem to trigger the event that would make it appear. I think it's because the game reads files differently if the player is using a randomizer.

Finally, I figure out how to make it work.

It's a rather simple solution that makes me feel a bit like an idiot.

In order for the item to be inserted, there are two parts. One involves telling the game _what_ the player wants, and the other is telling the game _where_ to insert it. Guess which part I forgot to do? The poor game was so confused, knowing that I wanted an item, but not knowing how to give it to me…

It's worth noting that in the gameplay, Gracie will not encounter the Pokémon on Liberty Island, as it is a legendary that is optional. In story, the battles that take place on Liberty Island have already occurred previously, so Gracie will only find the legendary there. I might edit the confusion into the story somehow. Since going to Liberty Island involves leaving on the ferry, perhaps Gracie loses her ticket or something…

Of course, all this means that Gracie has to go through Unova twice, and it affects the story. The events in Pokémon Black have already taken place by the time her story starts. So some teams may be merged with their sequel equivalents. Or Gracie simply just goes through the region twice, with both enemies and allies knowing her power.

This is why they are stronger the second time, with the gameplay reason being Challenge Mode. However, this also means that the second time, Gracie is in more danger. Enemies know what she is capable of doing, and will stop at nothing to defeat her. So Juniper gives her something that contains magical abilities, like an item. This item allows Gracie to use attacks other than her regular ones. She can utilize these abilities until she gets to a safe area, where she can train and recover from any damage she does receive. When Gracie gets to the safe area and is properly trained, she returns the item to Juniper.

The reason for this is because a randomizer is not used in White 2. If a randomizer is not used, it's impossible to fight without the starter or any other early caught Pokémon until one obtains the first Badge. And since Gracie has to be traded in, I can't actually use her until that point. If a randomizer is used, it's difficult to activate things like Challenge Mode and Memory Link. And if these things are not activated, it's impossible to do all battles and events. So I chose to use the hard copy in order to complete everything.

One of the things that will happen is that Cheren's battle at the beginning of the sequels will be replaced with Lenora. This is because Lenora's is one of the few battles that can be fought in the prequels but not the sequels. This occurs even if all events have been unlocked. The starting city in the sequels also does not have a Gym Leader, because Cheren is just a regular traveling trainer in Traveler.

Another possible story explanation is that the first time, things go as normal. The second time, N hears about two missing trainers, Hilbert and Hilda. He then enlists Gracie's help in finding them. This has to do with the fact that in the sequels, the main protagonists of the prequels are never seen, and no one knows where they are. So I think that someone would get at least a little worried…

Speaking of Unova, I finally breed for the sequel. However, I'm having trouble getting an egg because there are no Pokémon other than a party of six basic ones in my Black 2 file. Instead, I have to use a completed Platinum file to catch Ralts and Magmar (the latter for speeding up hatching). Then, I have to transfer them up before I can _even use_ the day care center. Ralts comes easily, but Magmar is tough to find and even tougher to catch. In fact, my first time, I fail, and need to reset. Eventually, I am both in the egg is made. After one hatching, the baby has the right attributes. Now the egg is in my party until White 2 is ready to go.

And finally, Pokémon Tournament DX is done. This means that the characters there can be inserted into the Traveler series in full. It's a good thing, as the characters impact the rest of the series. The coalition also impacts a one-shot written about them. Said one-shot is confirmed to be called Corruption, and it will most likely be written after Daughter and Diary are done.

So, I've been busy.

But now it's finally time to start the third arc of the story.

Hoenn.

Otherwise known as the game I had to randomize over and over in order to actually start…

But also known as a game I wasn't sure about at first, but now enjoy.

It's worth noting that I am playing Pokémon Emerald. Hoenn has a lot of options for games. These options include two originals, two remakes, and Emerald (which is like the director's cut of the originals). There's a lot of debate about whether the remakes or Emerald are the superior versions, and I happen to be in the latter camp. I will explain why as I go along.

This also means that there will be a lot of comparison between the remakes and this, as well as a lot of character analyses. A few new characters were added in the remakes, one character's story was expanded, and Emerald added a whole slew of characters that could only be seen after the main game was cleared. While I won't be seeing any of the characters in this run, I will do an analysis of them anyway. They still play an important role in Traveler.

But now, on to the gameplay.

First things first, turn up the speedup button. Second things second, watch the intro and fix the clock… For some bizarre reason, the original Hoenn games thought it would be a good idea to use the analog clock to track time, while everyone else used digital… It can make it very hard to read… And it's not like it mattered for cartridges anyway. Since after the game was played for at least a year, the internal clock batteries would run dry and no clock-based events could occur… Luckily, those not playing on a native system can toggle the clock on and off with a button (although, people will generally want it on). The remakes fixed this problem entirely by simply using the 3DS's clock. Also, there's a potion in the PC. I quickly grab it.

And off to continue the rest of the intro. It appears that Norman, the player's father, is having a special show, but the player doesn't get to see it. It's also worth noting that this is the first game where the player is related to someone famous. In this case, it's Norman, a Gym Leader. This leads to some interesting dialogue when he is finally battled, but I will save that for when he gets a proper introduction. There's also some unfortunate implications in the remakes, and in other media about him… Once again, that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, now I have to head next door and get introduced to Prof. Birch's child. The child will be the character the player did not choose. The name will be either Brendan or May, depending on whether or not the player is playing as a boy or girl. Interestingly, May made a full appearance as one of the main characters in anime. Brendan has yet to appear, and while May is Norman's daughter in the anime, Prof. Birch has no children there. In the Pokémon Special manga, both appear at once. They form a bit of an odd friendship, but also are each other's rivals. It's rather interesting to see.

Unfortunately, the game version of the rival is nowhere near as developed. That's why I can't say much about them. It's worth noting they are the first instance of a friendly rival. The battles are often good-natured, and usually end with a gift. There would be other friendly rivals in the series, and sometimes they would be alongside more serious ones. Also worth noting that in the original games, Brendan and May were the only rivals that did not completely evolve their starter Pokémon. This changed in the remakes, where they had a couple battles after the main game was cleared. In these battles, they did evolve their starters to their final form. While these battles are not in the Emerald version, Gracie's story will act like they are. Since the postgame is not being done otherwise, this will be last battle Gracie has before the arc ends.

Anyway, onward I go.

After visiting with Brendan, it seems like I have no choice but to head to the road to the north. There, Prof. Birch is in trouble, and I need to use a Pokémon to help rescue him.

Luckily, I know exactly which Pokémon to use.

Gracie joins my team once again, this time holding the TM for Return.

And now for an explanation on why I had to randomize so much…

I mentioned that this game hurls Dark types at the player early on.

I didn't mention _how_ early.

Since I'm playing Emerald, the first battle is against a Zigzagoon. However, things would have been different if I was playing any other of the Hoenn games.

Instead, I would've had to fight against a Poochyena.

Poochyena is a Dark Type, and Gracie's only attacking move is Confusion.

Which means I would've had to continue to try and fight the enemy Pokémon while I could do no damage. And the only way to end the battle would be if one of them either defeated the opponent or themselves using Struggle…

And there are lots more where that came from.

So it's easy to see why I randomized the items so I ended up with an extra move…

Anyway, the fight is not difficult, with the opposing Pokémon only going down to one Confusion. Professor Birch thanks Gracie by giving her the TM.

I may as well talk about Prof. Birch now.

In the original games, Prof. Birch didn't get much personality. The anime expanded on this by showing he enjoyed being outside and studying, even despite the risk. He also was kind to the protagonists, but he could be fairly nasty to those who weren't respectful to Pokémon (such as when he tries to criticize Team Rocket after they continue to deny that Jessie has a Dustox rather than a Beautifly).

The remakes added a little bit more to him, mainly by making a lot of his interactions comic relief. For example, there's a period in the postgame where he believes he is being attacked by wild Pokémon. It's similar to the intro, where the player has to pick a Pokémon to help rescue him. However, it turns out to be two false alarms. The first was a Pokémon tried to deliver a package, and the second was his _wife._ The two scenes are _hilarious,_ but I have to wonder how he could be a respected researcher and be that dense… This character development made him easily become one of my favorite professors, but my all-time favorite is still coming up…

After all that, Gracie joins my party, and I immediately teach her Return. Time to head off to the far north, where the first rival battle awaits.

But not before some leveling up first.

Where Gracie shows off her new move.

Return is boosted in power depending on how much a Pokémon likes its Trainer. Unfortunately, I'm still in the beginning of the game, so Gracie doesn't like me much. Furthermore, it runs off of her much weaker Attack stat, so it doesn't do much damage. A single battle with a Poochyena nearly turns into a bloodbath, as the Pokémon brings Gracie to about half HP with a few Tackles.

I make sure to grab some Potions after that, because battles that close could end badly…

Luckily, the rival battle doesn't.

It's just a battle against a single Torchic, so Gracie takes it out with Confusion.

After that, time to head back to the lab and head west. Also capture a Zigzagoon for a HM use.

May as well talk about a remake exclusive mechanic. The remakes also added two mechanics that were much loved in the fandom. They were sneaking, and the Dexnav. Sneaking makes it so that the player can move slowly using the 3DS's control stick. The Dexnav allowed the player to find rare Pokémon in this manner. These Pokémon would often have better stats, exclusive items, or even special moves to differentiate them from their normal counterparts. Furthermore, the more players caught or defeated the Pokémon, the higher chance of another Pokémon of the same species appearing with the rare attributes. The player could also call Pokémon with the Dexnav, but it didn't always work. Sneaking was the only way to catch these Pokémon, and if the player stopped doing it, they would run away. While it was a little bit tough to control at first, this quickly became one of the best mechanics in the games. Unfortunately, it did not make an appearance anywhere else. Since it is not in Emerald, I don't know if Gracie will encounter it here. I'm not even sure what you would use it for, because she's the exact opposite of inconspicuous…

Anyway, on to the routes to the west.

And the problems with Poochyena continue. One consistently lowers Gracie's attack power, and then lands a critical hit. Said critical hit takes off a quarter of her HP, but she is still able to beat her opponent back with Return. Everyone else gets taken down with Confusion.

There's also some berries here. Berries can be held to restore HP and give other effects without wasting a turn. I immediately equip an Oran Berry to Gracie so she can heal herself. The berries can be replanted and replenished, and they have other uses outside of battle. However, I will talk about those uses later.

For now it's on to Petalburg.

First things first. I have to go visit Norman. He's a Gym Leader, but the fifth one. As a result, I won't be able to challenge now. However, I do have to talk to him, as he explains the basics of the rest of the game. And then Wally stops in, acting as the game's Pokémon catching tutorial.

And boy, do I have a lot to say about him.

Wally is the first instance of a disabled character in the series, and that alone makes him interesting. He is implied to be suffering from asthma, and this is confirmed in the Pokémon Special manga. Nevertheless, he catches a Ralts, resolves to become a great Trainer, and goes on his own journey. He eventually becomes so powerful he can hold his own against all the Gym Leaders. At the end, he is implied to at least be the level of the Elite Four. The remakes have him be even stronger than them. Wally's parents are pleased as well, and thank the player for helping him catch his first Pokémon. They say it greatly improved his health and allowed him to go on a Pokémon journey. This is _despite_ the fact that he ran away from home to do all this.

Many find Wally's story charming, even though others find him annoying.

I find the story one big mess.

One of the problems is _how_ Wally's story is executed. He is implied to become incredibly strong from the beginning of the game to the end, and thanks player for it. However, the player _never sees this development_. It would make sense if he appeared over and over, continuously getting more powerful with each fight. But instead, Wally just shows up at the beginning of the game and at the end. The player can choose to fight him again in the postgame, but that doesn't really add much to his character.

The other involves how his illnesses is handled.

In the games, Wally just runs away and goes on the Pokémon journey, and no one bats an eye. This is despite the fact that he's _repeatedly_ stated to be frail and sickly, with asthma so bad he had to move to another town for most of the story. He appears at the end of the game as if nothing has happened, completely healthy. His family credits Wally's new Pokémon and determination.

But the problem is that no matter how determined someone is, _it doesn't change the fact that the illness is there._ Furthermore, some of the areas of the Pokémon world are _death traps_ for asthmatics. The game doesn't even acknowledge this. A blatant example is the ash fields that the player has to go through about halfway through the game. Wally also has to pass through here, even though going through an ash field is a good way for someone with asthma to get hurt or even _killed._ But the game doesn't even mention this, let alone explain _how_ Wally did it.

The remakes tried to explain the illness away by implying Wally's main problem was his shyness. However, the remakes still leave in some of the original references to illness, so it doesn't work. Furthermore, Wally is a _runaway._ That means that there are people who don't know he left. People that are worried about him, possibly even _looking_ for him. Maybe there's a _punishment_ waiting when he gets back home. Furthermore, unless Wally is manipulative or good at planning (the game doesn't suggest he's either), he would have to run away without much preparation beforehand. Yet the game simply ignores this factor, and the family just dismisses it as Wally being strong-willed.

And I find it all doesn't make sense.

Realistically, Wally should _never_ have been able to go on a journey, _let alone_ get as far as he did.

And apparently I'm not the only one with that mindset.

A lot of fan works deconstruct Wally's fate. They usually end with him dying at some point on or shortly after the journey. Also usually, someone finds him sick and urges him to stop. For some reason, this person is typically Winona. Whether or not he listens depends on the story.

And so the Traveler series _also_ deconstructs what happens.

In Holly Rising, Wally does die. However, in Usurping, he survives.

There are a few reasons for that.

One of the reasons is that it's rather cliché. A lot of readers expect a story with Wally's journey to either end the way it does in canon, or for Wally to die. I wanted to examine a different point of view.

Furthermore, when I was writing Wally's story for Usurping, I realized that making them die of his illness when so many others survived with it (one of which is _the main protagonist)_ didn't make much sense. Finally, I realized I could have the story have the same impact and do many of the same events if Wally ultimately survived his journey.

However, Wally's illness is changed a bit.

He still has asthma, but he also has allergies to the point of going into anaphylactic shock. I have also decided that he will have an immune system disorder, but I'm not sure what. So far, it is likely that he will have lupus (which would be rare given his gender and age, but not impossible). The reason his illness was made to be worse than in canon is because I needed something that would wear him down to the point where he can no longer travel on his own, but still be alive. At the same time, Wally's character required having an illness with the risk of death. This is because there's constantly that risk in Usurping, and in Holly Rising, he actually does die.

I also realized that Wally dying or otherwise being injured and unable to continue from asthma didn't make sense. Although asthma _can_ cause long-term damage and also be fatal, that only really happens if the asthma is not effectively treated. It's implying that Wally has had asthma his entire life and knows he has it, so it would be treated at least somewhat. He would also probably know know which areas to avoid. I was originally planning to say that he did not treat his asthma effectively, hence why he got sick a lot. Unfortunately, I realized that would require him to be rather stupid and reckless, and he's not ever seen as being either.

Furthermore, the _protagonist herself_ has severe asthma, so she would recognize the symptoms and get Wally in for treatment. On top of that, by the time the protagonist starts traveling, her asthma is very well-managed. This is despite the fact that she has not had it for as long as Wally. Finally, having the protagonist's asthma managed while Wally's is not does not make a lot of sense. In contrast, a lot of immune system disorders have a chance of flaring up and doing a lot of damage even with treatment, so it would make perfect sense for Wally to constantly get sick even though he tries to take care of himself. The protagonist does not have an immune system disorder, so she's at a loss for how to try to help Wally.

And all this contributes to what happens to him.

Wally tries to get through the journey, but is constantly getting sick and the protagonist keeps taking him to a hospital. However, due to Trainer laws, she can't force him to get treatment or stop, because he's treated like an adult. This means Wally's in charge of his own treatment, and forcing him to get anything can put the protagonist in legal trouble. Finally, Wally has an attack so bad that the protagonist tearfully orders him to stop the journey. She is able to get support for that to happen, but still faces legal repercussions. Luckily, the support she has from before also allows the protagonist to avoid long-term damage. Unfortunately, her reputation takes a hit, and she begins to make enemies.

Meanwhile, Wally is also punished for being a runaway. He is still allowed to keep his Pokémon, but is cannot own them as a Trainer. This is what inspires Toby, his Gardevior, to begin his own journey as a Pokémon citizen. Wally is also allowed to continue on his journey with a new team and starting from the beginning.

There is one condition.

The other ward I mentioned a few chapters back?

It's Wally.

It's generally agreed that Wally needs supervision in order to make sure he doesn't do something so reckless again, and for someone to watch over his health. The idea of a nurse is debated, but most nurses do not know how to battle very well. Someone points out that with instruction from some of the nurses and knowing where doctors are, another person that _can_ battle proficiently can take the role. Wally is devastated, but is comforted by Winona. She simply saying that he made a mistake, but he's being given a chance to rectify it. Furthermore, she points out that he can do a lot of things on his own, but going on a Pokémon journey is not one of them. Wally is still devastated, but realizes he can't get his training license back or go on another journey unless someone goes with him.

As a result, he reluctantly becomes Winona's ward, and starts out fresh in Hoenn. The reason Winona is the protector is that when Wally gets to the point of becoming very sick and unable to continue, Winona's giving him treatment. She is also often seen trying to convince him to stop his journey. Finally, Winona mentions being prepared for the chance of having a ward and otherwise looking after a young trainer. This is mainly mainly because she's a big proponent of changing the laws to make things more balanced for everyone. As for who looks after the gym, it may be an OC. Falkner might also be a possibility, provided Winona somehow gets paid during her task (as being in the police force and managing the gym might be difficult).

It's unknown if Gracie will meet Winona or Wally, and how much of their journey she will know about. She is confirmed to meet Toby at some point, but it is unknown how much he tells her.

But that is something I will get to for later.

For now, a massive part of the third arc story is done, and I am ready to move on to gameplay next update.


	22. School Bell

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **22\. School Bell**

 **Day 21 (March 12, 2018): Hoenn**

After a story every update last time, on to some gameplay! The first Badge awaits!

But first I have to catch some Pokémon. The first order of business is a Tailow, featured on the route to the west. I can use that to fly around. However, they are fairly rare, so I might be there a while…

But before I do that, I have to introduce a new character. His name is Scott, and he is exclusive to Emerald. He is roaming the world, hoping to recruit talented Trainers. After the main game is completed, Scott becomes the player's guide to the Battle Frontier. Even though is a bit eccentric, I don't really have an opinion on Scott. Although I will admit he does look a little odd. He did appear in the anime, although in the adaptation there, the Battle Frontier was in Kanto. Not to mention Scott's voice acting was atrocious…

Speaking of which, I realized I made a small mistake in the RP. In the RP, I mentioned Sable City was exclusive to there. However, it is not. Instead, it's exclusive to the anime. It's a very small city near the Kanto Battle Frontier, and Ash visits it right before he decides to take the aforementioned challenge. However, since there's no Battle Frontier in Kanto in Usurping's timeline, Sable City will probably not exist. This affects Gisele's events, so anything involving her and the school instead takes place in Pewter.

Anyway, I'm not sure if Gracie will meet Scott, because she doesn't do the Battle Frontier.

However, she might meet someone else here.

And that person is Courtney.

I mentioned that someone would betray their evil team to help the resistance movement. Courtney is that person, although in Traveler, she's not part of an evil team at all. The reason for this is because of how she's portrayed in the games. In Ruby and its remake Omega Ruby, she is fighting against the player. Oddly, in Omega Ruby, she speaks rather robotically, and enjoys analyzing things. In Sapphire, due to the way the game works, she is instead seen _helping_ the player as they fight against Team Aqua. Yet, Emerald is an interesting case.

While Ruby and Sapphire make one of the teams antagonistic and the other not, Emerald has _them both_ be antagonistic. In these games, all of the evil team members appear.

That is, except for Courtney.

Instead, her role of battling the player is taken over by Tabitha, even though they share the role in Ruby. The manga has an even more interesting interpretation. Courtney is still on the enemy side, but she acts like a rival to one of the main characters. It's revealed she is a former Coordinator, just like said main character is currently. Furthermore, Courtney actually spends a lot of time _secretly helping_ the protagonists. When all is said and done, she goes off to live an honest life.

So with her having so many times where she acts like an ally, and not being featured in Emerald, I figured Courtney may as well not be on the enemy side _at all._ Furthermore, due to her tendency to analyze things, she is a detective, and helps Gracie track what's going on in the world. Courtney speaks normally, like in her original appearances. However, she sometimes will lapse into a bit of robotic speech if she really gets into her work (similar to how Sabrina acts in some of the other books).

I feel like it would also make sense for Courtney to know the protagonist of Usurping, because this protagonist is in the thick of the conflicts taking place throughout the series. Courtney wants to try to help her figure out what's going on. Not to mention Courtney's powers of analysis allow her to realize that something is wrong with Usurping's protagonist long before anyone else.

However, it is unknown when they will meet each other, even though it is confirmed that Courtney helps out during Usurping. Also worth knowing that Courtney is against another character that's going to come up soon. _That_ character knows the protagonist personally… So it would make sense for Courtney and the protagonist to meet each other, or at least know each other.

But that's for a little while later.

Now, on to the Tailow.

Except it takes a while to appear, and when it does, it almost does not stay in a Poké Ball. This is even _after_ being weakened by Gracie's Return… It forces me to buy more Poké Balls, and I start having money issues…

Luckily, there's Trainers to beat up on the rest of the Route.

There's also another Pokémon to catch, Marril. It's a Water Type, available early in Emerald. It doesn't give me too much trouble. However, I do make the first one I encounter faint, and it does do a bit of damage. I had back to heal after defeating a Trainer, and entered the ominous Petalburg Woods.

The forest is home to weak Bug Catchers, but also a Pokémon called Shroomish. Shroomish can learn quite a few HMs, so I quickly add it to my party.

Also, it appears there's a Devon researcher here, and he is also looking for Shroomish. Hilariously, he asks me if I've seen one, despite the fact that said Pokémon is _in my party_.

But then, trouble is afoot.

Trouble in the form of a Team Aqua Grunt.

And he has a Poochyena.

This Grunt is one of the first mandatory battles against Dark Type Pokémon, and Gracie doesn't get something reliable against them until around the third Gym…

Which is why I randomized the game so much… Luckily, this one doesn't attack, instead consistently boosting its power… It's a relief…

The rest of the forest goes without incident, so I may as well talk about another character here.

This character appears only in the remakes, and is one of the most controversial characters in the fandom.

That character's name is Zinnia.

Zinnia is actually the overarching villain in the Hoenn games, although the player doesn't know that until later. She tricks the evil teams into awakening the ancient legendary Pokémon, in hopes that said awakening will create enough energy to summon Rayquaza. However, the player puts a stop to that, which makes Zinnia angry. As a result, she fights against them. It also worth knowing that unlike Emerald, only one evil team is in the remakes. It's also pointed out by everyone else that Zinnia's actions endangered the lives of many people and Pokémon. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to care.

After the main game is cleared, Zinnia appears as a villain again. This time, she's off to steal everyone's Mega Stones, without even giving a reason why. Zinnia hopes that that the energy from all the Stones will awaken Rayquaza. Yet now she has many Trainers chasing after her. At this point, a large meteor is sighted heading towards the planet, and it's feared that it will do massive damage if it hits. Nearby scientists believe that they can redirect the meteor to a different world, and avert the disaster.

However, Zinnia is even angrier after hearing this. She appears and crushes the plans. When the others ask her if she even cares about people and Pokémon, she fires the question back at them. She explains that the tales of her people, the Draconids, told of an alternate version of Hoenn. This version of Hoenn lacks many of the technological aspects seen in the remakes, and would not be strong enough to stop the meteor. Zinnia claims that by directing the meteor to another world, they are essentially sacrificing it to save their own.

However, no one believes her because of her past actions, and she has no proof of what she says. Furthermore, Zinnia does not have any other means of stopping the meteor even though time is running short. However, Sun and Moon confirms that Zinnia was correct about there being another world. This world is heavily implied where the original games take place.

Eventually, Zinnia convinces the player to follow her to Sky Pillar, and the two head to the top. Zinnia then tries to summon Rayquaza. While she is able to make it appear, it does not accept her as its Trainer. Furthermore, it lacks the ability to Mega Evolve into the form needed to stop the meteor. Instead, Rayquaza reacts to a meteorite that the player has, and then chooses them as its Trainer. Zinnia, despite being surprised by the turn of events, lets the player ride Rayquaza in order to stop the meteor. The meteor turns out to be the legendary Pokémon Deoxys, and the player must do battle with it. After the player successfully completes the battle, Zinnia names them the new successor to the Dracoids. She then heads off to start her own journey.

It's also worth noting that Zinnia is always followed by a Wismur named Aster. The original Aster appears to be deceased, and Zinnia is implied to want to join her. Not much is known about who the first Aster was, but the developer notes state that she was Zinnia's predecessor. She had special powers, and is confirmed to have died sometime before the game began. It's also implied that Aster and Zinnia were close. The manga expands on this further, explaining that when the others tried to capture Rayquaza, Aster fought against them. However, she did not win the battle, and somehow died. Zinnia tried to go to her side, but was too late. Zinnia only discovered the Aster was dead. After that, she became the new leader of the Draconids, but lacked the special powers Aster did. Therefore, Zinnia was not accepted by her people. This, combined with what happened to Rayquaza, caused her to become aggressive and violent.

Overall, I think Zinnia is an interesting character, but I have a problem with her.

She could've made a great villain.

The problem is that she isn't.

Instead, the game tries to portray her as sympathetic, but she's not sympathetic on any account. Zinnia is willing to sacrifice many people and Pokémon just to fulfill her own selfish desires and she has almost no reason to back them up. On top of that, Zinnia doesn't seem to care who or what she hurts, rightfully earning the rage of almost the _entire cast._ While she is implied to have some mental instability, it's not really an excuse for her actions. It just makes those actions seem very extreme.

Furthermore, her reasons seem rather petty, since it's not elaborated on how close Aster and Zinnia really were, or Zinnia's past. This type of thing might've been resolved much differently if Zinnia had _actually opened up about what happened and got help_. Unfortunately, she doesn't, so it seems like she drags most the world into her plans for selfish reasons. Her arc also has the same issues as Clair's, with a flimsy excuse for the player to be chosen over Zinnia as Rayquaza's successor. Lastly, Zinnia receives absolutely no consequences for her actions, with almost everyone forgiving her instantly.

So she's a character that makes no sense.

It's also worth noting that Zinnia represents a concept that many players of the games wanted. Many people were hoping that there was a team in Emerald that would worship Rayquaza and fight against all the others. Zinnia is the closest the games have to that, but it's incomplete.

So it's no wonder that many adaptations, both official and fan, make her much more aggressive and villainous. There is the Pokémon Special interpretation above for official ones. However, there's also many fan interpretations that make her quite dangerous, stopping at nothing to achieve her goals. The _one_ interpretation I saw where she was sympathetic, the main character came from the alternate world she was talking about, and he could prove it. This caused the other characters to reluctantly help Zinnia, and she is rather polite to them. Everyone is eventually able to make up, and the end of the arc makes more sense because Zinnia is never dishonest. Zinnia's suicidal tendencies are downplayed in this story, because the protagonist is able to get close to her and talk her out of them.

Aster's identity has also been subject to much interpretation. Even though an official identity was revealed, there's still very little. Furthermore, what information is there was not revealed a while after the games came out.

So the fandom still has their own interpretations.

In the fan interpretation above, Aster is a diseased Pokémon, which is what the protagonist uses to talk Zinnia out of committing suicide. He reveals that he lost many Pokémon, and they bond over that shared loss. In other interpretations, Zinnia is the mother of Aster, and is devastated from losing her family. It's implied that she acts the way she does out of grief, and although the other characters do not agree with her anger, they can understand it.

And Traveler takes another spin on everything.

Zinnia is villainous in both timelines, but what she does depends on the timeline itself. She is one of four disabled Trainers to travel with the protagonist (the other two are Ash and Wally). In this story, Zinnia has epilepsy along with the emotional issues that she had in canon. She is also older than the others, at 15 years of age. She's only younger than the protagonist herself, with that character being in her early 20s. Originally, Zinnia is not villainous, but causes trouble from the start. She's often seen making fun of the other characters (including the powerful protagonist), disrespecting authority in various ways, getting others in trouble, and overall engaging in risky behavior. Zinnia is pointed out by many other characters as creating a toxic relationship. However, since she is also more powerful than most of the members, the protagonist's group doesn't seem to care. It is worth noting that she and the protagonist clash often, despite the fact they're traveling together. This leads to a begrudging tolerance that turns into mutual dislike.

It's revealed that Zinnia has always had a penchant for mischievous behavior, but it got worse after her daughter, Aster, died. Zinnia explains that she got pregnant as a teenager, but the father left her. The clan tried to help her raise the baby, but Aster eventually passed away. How Aster dies is not confirmed at this point, but it may be that Zinnia continues to be reckless, and unintentionally gets her killed on a battlefield. Someone running defenseless on to a battlefield was seen in the original version of Traveler. Luckily, that character was able to get to safety before anything happened. So, with the new version of Traveler being a darker depiction, it makes sense that someone else wouldn't be so lucky. It also makes another character trait of Zinnia's make more sense.

After facing discrimination and other hardships on the journey, Zinnia becomes disillusioned with the League and their lack of action. Furthermore, she has also faced trouble with the law at this point, although how much punishment she has received is not confirmed. Zinnia believes the same philosophy as June, thinking that the League should go after the big time criminals rather than her. She gathers a group of like-minded Trainers, and they are known as Team Sky. These trainers are the precursors the rebels, and have enough strength and leadership to continue on after Zinnia leaves them for Silver's group. At the point Gracie's story starts, Team Sky is still terrorizing the populace.

Zinnia becomes more and more frustrated, and that anger culminates when Wally dies or is forced to stop his journey (depending on the timeline). Zinnia decides to take on the Champion (Steven), so that a situation like Wally's will not happen again. Before she does this, however, she decide she needs to become the Vessel of Rayquaza. The protagonist tries to stop her, getting Wallace's permission to ascend Sky Pillar. Unfortunately, she only succeeds in nearly getting herself killed, and has to be rescued by Wallace.

The protagonist is now terrified of what Zinnia might do, but Wallace reassures her that Steven will stop her. She is also feeling guilty that she could not stop Zinnia, but Wallace explains that what happened is not the protagonist's fault. Luckily, Steven is successful and defeats Zinnia. However, this only serves to make Zinnia angrier, blaming Champions like Wallace for everything. The League tries to capture her. Unfortunately, she uses the laws protecting trainers against them and otherwise evades capture. Eventually, Zinnia joins Silver's rebels, engaging the protagonist near the end of Mold Breaker.

So, Zinnia still heavily influences Hoenn, despite not being in the original games.

But that's neither here nor there.

There are Trainers to battle and a route to conquer. Thankfully, they have a lot of money, so my problems are solved for now.

Now it's time to head to Rusburto.

And then to talk about another character: Roxanne.

Roxanne is one of my favorite characters, mainly because she's a teacher and I enjoy teaching. Not to mention that she's good at what she does, and is a pretty kind to almost everyone. The games flip-flop on what her status is though.

She's called an honors student and looks younger in the remakes. However, the original games had her look older, and made it clear she was either a teacher or some other person of high standing. So it's unknown what interpretation is correct. Traveler uses the original one.

In the anime, Roxanne was helpful to many characters. She taught Max the basics of battle, and reassured May when she was nervous about switching her path from a regular Trainer to one that specialized in contests. Although I think it would be interesting if the show just revolved around May, and she chose to do both battles and contests. Perhaps Roxanne could help her along the way. Interesting concept for another story.

Anyway, Roxanne also nearly beats Ash, demonstrating incredible knowledge of Pokémon. In my opinion, she _should_ have beaten him. Ash is rather reckless, but Roxanne is not. She is able to stop most of his attacks up until Pikachu gets Iron Tail ready in the nick of time. So he will probably lose to her in Traveler, and she helps teach them a few things.

It's worth noting that in the original games, Roxanne's main Pokémon was called Nosepass, and was fairly weak. However, Nosepass eventually got an evolution, and became much stronger. Roxanne uses this evolution when she's challenged in future games (excluding the remakes). Since all Pokémon generations exist at once in Traveler, Roxanne will use the evolution of Nosepass instead. This also makes the battle difficult for Gracie, because Nosepass gains the Steel type upon evolving…

Maybe Gracie loses to Roxanne, and she resolves to teach her a few things until she can win. This may also go into other aspects of school that were mentioned before. These aspects include the Pokémon citizenship test requirements, and Gracie teaching students, or even the idea of Pokémon training trainers.

And this may also lead into the story Roxanne has attached to her.

She's closer to the protagonist, and is revealed to be one of her former teachers. Gracie once again gets dreamy about the Mold Breaker (probably after someone mentioned her as a former student), but Roxanne cuts her off. She mentions that Kristine was indeed a brilliant and diligent student. However, Roxanne also had to drag her into her office a few times. The reason for this was unknown to most people. While took a lot to set Kristine off, she had quite a temper, and was not afraid to use it against others. Of course, her normally sweet nature meant that she regretted it afterward, but oftentimes she did a lot of damage. Her tendency to question things also got her into trouble, and when she was cornered she'd fight back until she won. Gracie is concerned, wondering what happened at the school.

Roxanne replies that Kristine got picked on by many children because of her namesake. With the power of Pokémon, she retaliated. Gracie is shocked, wondering if she hurt or killed the other children. Roxanne replies not permanently and she didn't kill anyone.

Kristine was well aware of what could happen if she was caught hurting others with Pokémon. It could lead to the Pokémon being taken away, or worse. Roxanne goes on to say Kristine often attacked discreetly, and Roxanne could never figure out exactly how she did so without any obvious signs. It was always in self-defense, and there was no proof that she attacked anyone, or even _used_ any Pokémon. Roxanne always figured it was her, though because she would be usually be standing over injured classmates. Gracie thinks how horrible that is, and Roxanne replies it's become the norm.

She woefully says that Kristine left the school that bullied her, only to head into a world that bullied her even more. Roxanne thinks it's no surprise to Kristine snapped, and darkly replies that she wouldn't be surprised if Kristine became head of the rebels somehow. According to Roxanne, she has every right, based on what happened to her. Gracie states "So you believe". Roxanne finishes, "Yes, I do. It's the logical conclusion of what happened. And I believe that mental blockage that that you've heard about also has something to do with it." Roxanne shuts her eyes, stating that she only wishes Kristine knew what the world was like before she did what she did back home. Gracie is even more confused, wondering "do what she did? What did she do?"

Roxanne goes onto explain that one of the reasons she and Kristine are so close is because Kristine chose to pursue a career as a teacher. However, the life was not suited for her. When she neared the end of the program, she started having issues with panic attacks in the classroom. Unfortunately, she shut down, telling hardly anyone about her issues. So, as a result, the schools she was in didn't know to help her, or even that she had an issue. They didn't have an advocacy program, for struggling students, or even a way to check in on them. By that time, they were expected to be able to teach almost on their own.

So when Kristine's issue was finally raised, it was far too late to do anything. She _did_ graduate, but she had no credentials. The lack of credentials shut her out of many job opportunities. So she was stuck with something she hated, and in her mind, she couldn't use it. All those years, and only to receive something she considered worthless… But the negative effects didn't end there…

Since that time, Kristine has been unable to enter a classroom at all. I tried to convince her to come back here, but she refuses. From all I know, she still has a grudge against the teachers in her homeland because they didn't help her, or couldn't. Or perhaps the grudge against herself, as she lacks the means of forgiveness. I wish I could help her, but all I can do is wish her luck.

Gracie shudders, thinking this is eerily similar to the stories that Morty told. She wonders if Kristine is worth protecting. Roxanne assures Gracie that she is, and that maybe with someone to protect her, she'll finally speak up. At least, that's what the Gym Leader hopes. Roxanne may also be teaching Holly, mainly because she needs extra discipline, and Erika doesn't know what do. But since Roxanne is far away, that may not be the case. If it _is_ the case, it may be shortly after the incident in Celadon.

Anyway, on to exploring.

There's a couple of interesting items in the city. The most notable one is the Quick Claw, which was Gracie's final item in Kanto. Also, Cut is here, so I teach to the party.

Now to battle Roxanne. Her Gym is fairly simple, consisting of three Trainers before the leader. Next up, Roxanne herself.

Roxanne's Pokémon are around Gracie's level, with her Nosepass being at a high level. They all use Rock Tomb. This move does damage while lowering the opponent's speed. It makes Gracie slower than the Rock types, and Rock Tomb tears through her defense. To make matters worse, Roxanne can heal with potions and berries. Luckily, Rock Tomb has a chance of missing, and it does several times. Furthermore, Roxanne's Pokémon are still weak to special moves, and Gracie does a lot of damage back with Confusion. To add insult to injury, Gracie gets lucky and confuses opponents, so they won't stop hitting themselves. Eventually, Gracie finally wins the first badge.

Now, it's off to the next event. But that won't be for until next update.


	23. Granite Pi

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **23: Granite Pi**

 **Day 22 (March 14, 2018): Hoenn**

Back with another Gracie episode! And look, it's Pi Day! Maybe I will show Gracie eating pie… Of course, there's no mathematicians until much later, but doesn't mean she can't celebrate now.

Anyway, on to the second Gym! But first, time to thwart a burglary. Someone stole items from the city, and they need to be brought back. But to do that, I have to chase a criminal through the routes to the east.

Trainers are easily taken down, and I make it to the end of the route. Then, I arrive to meet someone called Mr. Briney. He's a ship captain who had his beloved Pokémon stolen, and needs someone to get it back… Luckily, I've come at the right time. He doesn't do much in the games, so I don't have much of an opinion on him. However, I do like the fact that he's a ship captain, and the remakes expanded on him by giving him a friendship with the Elite Four member Drake.

Anyway, in the cave I go. It looks like the same person that stole the Pokémon also stole the items from the city. So if I beat him, I can kill two birds in one stone.

The thief only has a lone Poochyena, and Gracie's Return is strong enough to take it down in two hits.

So now I head back to deliver the goods, but it's also time to deliver something else.

The item needs to be delivered to a town called Slateport, and I've additionally been tasked with delivering a letter to Dewford. So off to go make those deliveries. Also worth noting that another character, Mr. Stone, makes his appearance here. He doesn't do much in the original games, so I don't have an opinion on him. He does have some funny lines in the remakes, however.

Mr. Stone gives me a Pokenav. The device has some pretty useful features, such as the ability to look at a map, Pokémon contest stats, and rematch trainers by calling them. The last one is particularly noteworthy in Emerald, where Gym Leaders can be rematched up to about five times. Their teams get progressively stronger, sometimes rivaling those found at the end of the game. The Elite Four cannot be rematched with extra teams, however, but there will still appear in the Match Call. This was changed in the remakes, where they could be rematched after the main game was cleared.

Anyway, time to get out of the city.

But not before a Rival battle. This battle is exclusive to Emerald, and it's not much tougher than some of the others. On a side note, my Zigzagoon has Pickup. This means it randomly grabs items when I'm in the field provided is not already holding one. The items get better the more it levels up, so I will be sure to use it as Gracie's partner in double battles.

Anyway, back through Petalburg to take a boat trip. The next routes are waterway, but I cannot cross them yet. So I have to take Mr. Briney's boat in order to get to the next place, Dewford.

And I make it there easily.

Dewford is a quiet little town with not much happening. I can grab the first fishing rod, but choose not to. Something interesting is the Pokémon Fan Club. It actually has an effect on gameplay, and this is because of a trendy phrase the player can input. That phrase determines the location of a Pokémon called Feebas.

Feebas appears on a route much later in the game, but _where_ it appears depends on the phase. It will have a very high appearance it four random spots depending on the phrase. However, those random spots will change every time the phrase does. This includes if the player mixes records to get a phrase from another person's game. Once the player find the random spots, Feebas is almost certain to appear. However, it never appears anywhere else.

Also, the game doesn't tell explain _any_ of this, so many a confused player is left wondering how to find Feebas… Official guides don't say very much about Feebas either, only that it is very difficult to catch. And its evolution method is even more difficult… Luckily, both the evolution method and finding Feebas were made much easier in later games. Perhaps this was as an apology to players…

But Feebas is neither here nor there.

Instead, I'm interested in the routes of the north. There's some Trainers there, but where I'd really like to go is Granite Cave.

Granite Cave has Geodude, so I quickly capture one and put it in the party. It also has Flash, so I grab that and also teach to the party. Granite Cave is interesting, because it's one of the first areas to be toned down in the remakes.

In the originals, the cave can be long and rather confusing. In the remakes, it's simply a straight shot with a cutscene at the end. It's unknown why that change occurred, but I suspect the makers of the remakes did not want players wandering around frustrated for what is effectively a story event… There are some people who enjoy the cave the way it was, though, and considering the character that is met in there, a longer version makes more sense…

Also noting that when the player can visit Granite Cave changes in the remakes and the originals. In the original, Granite Cave can be completely cleared before getting the Badge in Dewford. However, this is slightly more difficult due to not being able to use Flash. In the remakes, Granite Cave can't be cleared until after the Badge is won, and hardly any Pokémon can be found before that.

I believe the reason for that is because of two Pokémon. Their names are Mawile and Sableye.

Both have a massive advantage over the gym, to the point of being almost unfair. Sableye has no weaknesses, and almost all the Pokémon in the Gym can do no damage to it. Mawile is actually weak to Fighting moves, but possesses higher defense than anything the player has at this point, and can only keep getting more. Furthermore, it has an ability that lowers the opponent's physical attack. The Gym Leader relies on physical attacks to do damage. With advantages like that, it's no wonder these Pokémon were made unavailable until after the Gym.

But I'm not catching either of them now.

Instead, I'm heading to the Gym.

It's worth noting this Gym is like Morty's, where it is completely dark. In order to light it up, the player has to defeat Trainers. Luckily, they are Fighting type, so this should be easy.

Time to get right to it.

Luckily, the Pokémon here are weak to Gracie, so they go down in one or two attacks. Brawly himself is no different, with everything falling quickly to Confusion.

May as well give my opinion on Brawly. I actually like Brawly's character, because I also like his surfing hobby. The anime expanded on this, showing that he used surfing to train his Pokémon. He also saw the world as one giant training field. Brawley proved to be very perceptive about nature, as well as using it to his advantage. He encouraged Ash to do the same after he lost to him. Ash took Brawly up on his offer, and eventually was able to beat him. Brawly's personality was also expanded on because there was a young Fighting Type Trainer that had a crush on him. He was surprised when he found out, but rather calm.

In the Traveler series, Brawly has a little bit of a role. He tries to teach Gracie surfing, but because of her motion sickness and general inexperience, she can't stay on the board. He decides she needs to learn how to make her body tough along with her mind, and puts her on the workout equipment in his Gym. Gracie finds out she likes that equipment, and is fairly good at using it. She probably thinks about the males of her species in the wild, evolving into Gallade. She wonders if this is how they start their training for their evolution.

Anyway, with Flash, I can enter Granite Cave and talk about another character.

That character is Steven. Steven's role depends on the game. In every game but Emerald, he is the Champion. In Emerald, he has stepped down, but can be fought as an optional battle after the main game is cleared.

I have a few words about that, but I'm going to save them for when the actual Champion fight comes along.

Instead, I'll talk about Steven's character. Steven is actually one of my favorites, mainly because he's down to earth and actually tries to help out the populace as much as he can. He's also kind and calm with the player, and one of the first Champions to truly be friendly with them. Steven is also one of the first Champions to be relevant to the storyline, something which would continue ever since (well, with one exception, but that role was expanded on other media and there was a reason in the games).

Steven also marks the point where Champion battles got a lot tougher (with a few exceptions). He had one of the most powerful teams ever created at the time he was introduced. Bonus points for specializing in a type on top of it… Not to mention his power was consistently mentioned in the games, although it was never revealed that he was Champion. Steven's role is something that's well known now, but at the time, I love the buildup where his power was alluded to a lot, he helps out the player, and then they finally face him…

With Steven's personality, it's little wonder that he's often seen rescuing people or otherwise trying to calm things down. In the manga, he rescues Ruby, and sacrifices his life to save all of Hoenn. Thankfully, he is revived. The anime also follows suit, with him rescuing the entire cast when they get lost in Granite Cave. Steven was also originally supposed to appear in place of Lance in the finale of the third arc of the anime, rescuing the protagonists from Groudon and Kyogre. Instead, he appears in an arc based on the remakes, doing a lot of rescuing of almost everyone.

Furthermore, fan fiction seems to have him doing a lot of the same thing, with one particularly well known example called Across the Sun. In this story, May has gone missing, and Steven, fearing the worst, sets out to find her. This is despite the fact that he's the prime suspect in her disappearance, due to being the closest person to her… It is quite interesting, because May is portrayed as having had the Championship go to her head, and reacting as well to it as one might expect anyone her age to react (meaning, not well, to the point of mental breakdown)…

Anyway, in the original version of Traveler series, Steven rescued the protagonist. He did acknowledge her strength, but scolded her for recklessness. At one point, she tries to capture a dangerous Pokémon, Sharpedo, without proper precautions. As a result, the protagonist is injured. She is only saved by Steven and one of her Pokémon that happens to be a good swimmer. He also rescues her when she goes after the evil teams by herself, with horrible results.

Unfortunately, Steven is unable to stop her careless behavior, and she spendd a lot of time trying to earn his respect. It's worth noting that the protagonist in the original version of Traveler in the Hoenn and Johto tales is the same person. Ash does not recognize her, mainly because it's been a while since they've traveled. Furthermore, Brock is not present, and would be the only other person that would've traveled with both times. The protagonist has a different team, but since she's carried several Pokémon, it's implied the rest are all in her boxes. The completely different team was because at the time the original games were made, there was no way to transfer old Pokémon up to newer games. Now, it's finally possible, but it took a long time.

It's also noting that in the original drafts of the current version of Traveler, Holly Rising's Kris and Usurping's Kris were supposed to be the same person. However, this was changed as I realized their characters were incompatible with each other. This was also also because of the fact that I wanted to play around a bit. Usurping does not have the constraints of the RP, so I can completely switch scenes from their original versions. For example, in Holly Rising, Kris and Holly never truly battle. In Usurping, Kris battles Holly immediately, and the results go as one might expect. In Holly Rising, Kris doesn't know Anabel. In Usurping, she does, although not very well.

Anyway, Steven is set to play a large role in the new version of Traveler, but I am unsure what yet.

So, that's all for Dewford, and it's time to set sail for the next city.

But that will for the next time. There's a lot to do there, after all.


	24. Port City

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I don't own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **24: Port City**

 **Day 23 (March 15, 2018): Hoenn**

Time for another Gracie episode! Today is hopefully the third Badge, although it may take me a while to get there.

First off is the beaches before Slateport. One notable place is the Seashore House. The owners sell Soda Pop, and will award the player with six of them if they manage to beat every Trainer there. It's worth buying, simply because Soda Pop is a better recovery item than the player can find at this point. The idea of Gracie enjoying a nice can of soda seems like a cool little scene. Not to mention that she could just relax and tan on the beaches. Maybe work on surfing…

Also worth noting that Phoebe is native to Hoenn, so she would make a lot of appearances in the arc. I'm not sure where, but maybe she could make an appearance on the beach. She detailed Gracie with her surfing and teach her safe tanning practices. Roxanne may make an appearance too, because it's at this point that if the player is playing Emerald, she will call them to register for possible rematches.

Also, the Seashore House is interesting when it comes to the protagonist of Usurping. The protagonist of Usurping has difficulty digesting some things, one of which is soda… So it might be difficult to watch others enjoying it while she can't… I can think of a way for her to enjoy it, by using her fused Nihilego to drink it for her (their sense of taste is fused, but their digestive systems are not). It would be rather awkward, though…

Anyway, I get through all the Trainers and win the soda pop.

And move on the Slateport.

Slateport is one of the towns that varies the most depending on what game is played. In the original games, it was home to a Contest Hall. However, the player could not actually participate in Contests until a little while later. More on those when I actually get to them. In the remakes, the Contest Hall was made the first one, and then they proceeded to go in chronological order. In Emerald, Contests aren't available until near the end of the game, but something else is in their place. The Contest Halls have been replaced by Battle Tents.

Battle Tents are a place where the player can participate in fights with special rules. These fights can give the player rewards, but are not necessary to advance the story. These special battles can be also be fought as parts of the Battle Frontier after the main game is cleared. However, they will be much more difficult, with the goal to win either 50 or 100 of them in a row in order to face a boss. The rewards are much better in the Frontier, but the stakes are also much higher.

This particular Battle Tent is based off of the Battle Factory. In this place, the player rents three Pokémon from a random team of six. After the player wins a fight, they can choose one of the opponent's Pokémon to swap with their own. However, the player is not told what Pokémon their opponent has, and therefore needs to remember Pokémon statistics beforehand.

So I may as well talk about the boss of this place, Noland. Noland is interesting because he is a tech geek, and also seems to be passionate about mathematics (calculating Pokémon victories by percentages, for example). Noland is implied to have a wide variety of battling skills, because he is able to control all of the Pokémon in the rental facility at ease. Furthermore, the game never tells the player what Pokémon either person uses, so it requires both the player and Noland to be on their toes. According to the anime, Noland also enjoys building machines, and can command legendary Pokémon. Other than that, there's not much to him.

I'm neutral on Noland, to be honest. I do like his personality of being a technical geek. His battle facility is also fun and challenging, but I don't really think much of him otherwise.

There's also another character that makes an appearance here. This character is exclusive to the remakes, and her name is Lisia.

She's the niece of the Gym Leader Wallace, and incredibly energetic. Her main Pokémon is an Altaria named Ali, and they're both renowned for being good at things like singing and dancing. They travel the world, scouting out people to take part in Contests. Lisia notices the player, decides they would be good in contests, and teaches them how to participate. After that, Lisia can be fought in Contests provided the player has reached the Master Rank. She gives out a special item if she is defeated in all five ranks of Contests.

It is notable that if Lisia _does_ participate, she will always get the highest score in the first round. Furthermore, she appears to be friends with another person named Chaz. Chaz's only real distinction is that he has a female Machoke, a Pokémon that is usually male.

Unfortunately, I don't like Lisia that much. I find her personality annoying, and she's not really that necessary. The player is likely to wander into the halls on their own, and the only thing they get from following her advice and participating in the Contest is a special Pokémon that is not that useful anyway. Like Janine in Kanto, there is no mention that Wallace ever had a niece, not even in any of the other media before she appears. This makes it feel like Lisia's come out of nowhere…

Furthermore, there is another character that could've fit Lisia's role perfectly well.

This character is Juan.

I will give a proper explanation on him when he actually appears, but he is exclusive to Emerald. It would've made sense to have him appear in the remakes due to the way they're set up and the increased importance of Contests. He is also mentioned as being a master of Contests, and has taught people successfully before. So it would've made sense for him to teach the player. But instead, he never appears in the remakes at all. This gets even stranger considering his role is greatly expanded in other media. But the games don't acknowledge his existence after the first one he appears in.

And Slateport would have been the perfect opportunity to do that.

I don't know if Battle Tents or Contests will take place Travelers version of Slateport. However, if it's Contests, Juan will most likely introduce them to Gracie. He may introduce them even if they're not in Slateport, but I will see.

Anyway, there's not much more to do in the city. There's a lot of little shops, but most of them sell only items for side quests. So I head to the shipyard to deliver the items.

And that leads into the next area.

The Oceanic Museum.

Looks like Team Aqua has returned, and it's time to take them out. I also get the TM for Thief here. Since it is useful, I teach it to Gracie.

Team Aqua is not that tough, so I beat them easily. Their leader, Archie, makes a brief appearance here, but I will talk about him when he has a proper battle.

Quickly, I stop to get an item called Harbor Mail. I need it for something later. After that, it's time to head to the north.

There is a Plusle and Minun duo that damages and paralyzes Gracie, but they're still defeated by Confusion. Gracie also tries to learn Calm Mind, and I let her.

Up ahead is one of my favorite areas.

The Trick House.

The Trick House is run by a person known only as the Trick Master. It's full of puzzles, and solving the puzzles will give the player items. Some of the items are only found here, and almost all of them are very useful. There's also quite a few Trainers in the area, so it's good for experience. Unfortunately, some of the Trick House puzzles were taken out in the remakes for whatever reason… It's quite sad…

Anyway, I enjoy the puzzles and the extra experience, so Gracie goes in. It's worth noting that the puzzles will usually be based on an HM the player has just acquired, or a Gym they have just defeated. This one in particular uses the move Cut. Luckily, it's easy to traverse.

It isn't long before I'm on the rest of the route.

And into another Rival Battle.

Luckily, this one's quickly finished with Confusion. The rest of the route doesn't pose much of a problem either.

And now I enter Mauville.

Mauville is interesting because it's one of the few cities that received a redesign. In the remakes, it's completely indoors, almost reminiscent of a giant shopping mall. There's also several areas that were added in, including two upper floors. It looks amazing, and is enjoyable to explore. Some of the extra areas are blocked off and the player gets further in, however. In the remakes, the Game Corner is not accessible. However, the items that could've been won there are relocated to other locations. In the originals, bringing a Harbor Mail to the first house the player sees will get them a Coin Case.

Overall, Mauville City is one of the changes in the remakes that I really approve of, and it makes me wish the rest of them were of that quality…

But anyway, time to continue.

First things first, obtain a Bike, then head on to Cycling Road. Cycling Road is completely optional in this game, but it provides good experience. It also provides opportunities to encounter the Pokémon that will later be found in the Gym.

The Pokémon go down effortlessly, and Gracie learns Psychic. Perfect timing too, considering my next opponent is the Gym…

Well, not before taking down Wally.

He still has only a single Pokémon, although it's a bit higher leveled. With my new move, Thief, it's an easy victory. I wonder if this is where Gracie will see Toby, although they don't actually meet until later, and she's confused as to who he is.

The Gym may not be so easy though. Its home to switches in the floor, and hitting the switches opens and closes electric gates. Unlike Surge's Gym, nothing is hidden, so the puzzle isn't nearly as annoying. It's worth noting that the anime had additional puzzles, such as a mechanical Raikou the group had to fight, and something that resembled a roller coaster. These puzzles will probably be added into Traveler. I have a feeling Gracie might be surprised and a little scared, but she'll probably enjoy herself. After all, she is depicted as being rather calm, so a roller coaster wouldn't scare her for long…

Worth noting that as far as battles go, there's a lot of double battles here. There's also a lot of Pokémon that are not Electric Type, but know Electric Type moves. That means that normal runs have to be careful, although Gracie is strong enough to take down everyone.

So I quickly make it to Wattson. Wattson's one of my favorite Gym Leaders, because I like his personality. The idea of a more laid-back character is refreshing when a lot of characters are serious about battling. It's also worth noting that he's not stupid by any means, getting incredibly upset when it appears Ash's Pikachu has been hurt by his redesigned Gym. He is shown to easily bond with Pokémon, able to make friends with a wild Electrike, and use it to save many other Pokémon. Wattson is a competent battler, as proven in the manga many times.

So now it's time for me to face him.

If the player does not have a Ground type at this point, he can be very difficult. His Pokémon have powerful attacks for this point in the game, and they also can cause explosions. They will not hesitate to use them against the player, so it's worth being wary. Unfortunately, the tendency to cause explosions was taken out the remakes… It's a change I'm not particularly happy with, because added a great deal of difficulty to the battle…

But Wattson isn't difficult now. Other than a Magneton that survives a Psychic and paralyzes Gracie, there's not much to him.

But now I have the means to use Rock Smash. So it's time to head on to the route to the west.

The route to the west is completely optional, but it has a lot of Trainers for good experience, and a bit of story attached.

So it's worth going to. The Pokémon Day Care center is also here, but I won't be using it this run.

So I make it to a small town, Verdanturf. In the original games, this is where the player could enter Contests. In Emerald, the player can instead take part in a special battle format. In this battle format, Pokémon fight by themselves. What moves are chosen depends on the Pokémon's Nature, and whether or not it is injured. If the player tries to teach a Pokémon moves that don't go well with their Nature, they may lose turns (specifically, the Pokémon is incapable of using its power). This is one of the tougher formats, and not one I'm particularly fond of, but it's interesting nonetheless. In the Battle Frontier, there is a young girl who will tell the player what moves their Pokémon are likely to use. The player can then build a team based on that.

Anyway, the leader of this facility in the Battle Frontier is Spencer. He is older than most of the Frontier leaders, and tries to act wise and calm. However, in later matches, it's revealed he is pranking in the player, becoming rather impolite and crazy. Luckily, he is still kind to others, and athletic despite his age. I always found him a rather cool character because of that, even if he is not my favorite out of Emerald's Frontier Brains.

The town contains a bit of story, because it's revealed that Wally ran away. Furthermore, the rest of his family can be found here. Using Rock Smash in the tunnel to the north makes a pathway to Rusburto. It also rewards the player with Strength, and reunites two members of Wally's extended family.

Anyway, back to the Mauville and off to the north.

Worth noting that there is a group of people called the Winistrates here. They will challenge the player to four battles in a row, similar to the Elite Four. If the player wins, they receive the Macho Brace. It lowers a Pokémon's speed, but doubles the amount of points received if they beat an opponent. If enough of these points are collected, the Pokémon's stats can increase. This allowed players to customize their Pokémon, and decide what and if they would specialize in (if anything). Later on, as this type of training became more popular, the Macho Brace was made obsolete. Eventually, later games removed it completely, in favor of other methods. However, at the time it was introduced, the Macho Brace was a powerful item. This is because the process to get enough points to affect a Pokémon's stats was otherwise very slow.

Also worth noting that there is a fifth member that can be battled, but he's a secret fight near the end of the game. Typically, the player should be nowhere near his level, and the rest of the family indicates that if player talks to them. Hilariously, because this is a solo run, Gracie actually _is_ around his level (level 31, when he's in the mid-40s). I wonder what level she will be when she finally faces him…

Also, there is a new facility exclusive to Emerald, although it also made an appearance in the Kanto remakes. This facility is based on speed, and that's called the Battle Hill. There is a place with multiple floors, and the player's goal is to reach the top. However, there are many Trainers standing in their way, and these Trainers will do anything to slow the player down. Items are awarded upon completion of the area. The faster the player completes it, the better the item. I won't be using it the facility this run, but it's something fun to do. Something similar was added into the Battle Frontier, but I won't talk about that until later.

For now, time to keep going.

Also worth noting that the route is long, and I run into Power Point problems. Luckily, there is a rest stop at some point. Hopefully I can make it there without needing to heal before then.

Also meet another set of characters, Gabby and Ty. They are a pair of plucky reporters who will interview the player after they have battled them. The interview will then be shown on the various TVs across Hoenn, along with how well the player did. Interesting thing about them is that they can be battled multiple times, getting stronger each time. Furthermore, they can be battled as often as the player wants, repeatedly appearing in three different locations. So they make a good source of experience, as well as having some humorous and light hearted dialogue.

For this reason, I've always liked Gabby and Ty. The Pokémon Special manga expands on their role. It shows them as brave reporters who are willing to put their own lives in danger to protect others and make sure everyone knows the truth of what is going on. This only makes me like them even more. Unfortunately, they are not shown in the anime.

I think Gracie wouldn't mind the attention either, considering a lot of people know her and her unusual journey by this point. As for what she would say in an interview, I could see her exclaiming Mold Breaker. Which leaves the two to tell Gracie that they have interviewed the Mold Breaker sometimes. No matter what she was going through she always put on a smile and loved the interviews and attention. Perhaps she thought it was a stress reliever. This is because I could see the protagonist of Usurping enjoying her interviews with Gabby and Ty, because she likes public activities and is very outgoing. I can also see Gabby and Ty not being the kind to go overboard, unlike later examples.

Anyway, in order to progress, I have to enter an area called the Fiery Path. As the name suggests, there are a lot of Fire Type Pokémon here. There also seems to be some sort of little sparks on the ground, but I have no idea what they actually are.

The move Strength can be used to access a secret area, leading to a few items and a place to put a Secret Base. More on the latter later. I have a soft spot for this place, considering this is where my first Secret Base was. I liked to think of it as my little hideaway. It became even funnier when I later found out I have an interest in geology. All the rocks and whatnot made it the perfect place. It is unknown if this will be the protagonist of Usurping's Secret Base, but it is confirmed that someone will stumble upon it accidentally. Gracie will also stumble on it, but since she does that when Kristine's not home, she does not realize where she is.

So, time to continue.

I start having more Power Point issues, but thankfully make it to the rest house. I also make it to another place.

And that is the area with Secret Power.

Secret Power is interesting because it's a strong Normal Type move. It also has the ability to cause various status effects, depending on where the Pokémon using is fighting. Outside of battle, it can be used to make a Secret Base. Secret Bases are areas that can be decorated and otherwise customized with various types of odds and ends. If the players trade records with other games, they can find each other's secret bases. If the main game is cleared, the players can battle.

The remakes expanded on the Secret Bases, giving the player a gift if they collected flags from other Secret Bases. Furthermore, several Secret Bases could be found online and scanned in. These included bases made by the developers, with Pokémon that could be found nowhere else. Another was the famous Blissey bases, all of which held powerful Blissey that were known for giving experience.

The player could even find other Trainers, turning their base into a Gym. The level of the Trainers and the base was usually limited based on what level the player was in the game. However, it's possible to obtain an item that could remove this restriction, allowing all players to fight at full power. Each team only had three Pokémon, with the player's team taken directly from their data of the last time they uploaded their save file online. Getting Secret Power opened up a shop in Slateport that sells exclusive decorations. Finally, Secret Power can be bought in stores, so the player never has to worry about losing the ability to create Secret Bases. Therefore, I teach the move to the party now.

I imagine Gracie would like the concept of Secret Bases, but knowing how often she travels, it would be impractical…

And I'm on to the next area!

It's one of my favorites, but it will have to wait. After all, I have quite a few things to say about it.


	25. Order of Things

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon and enjoy!**

* * *

 **25: Order of Things**

 **Day 24 (March 18, 2018): Hoenn**

And back with another Gracie episode! Time to go into the second half of Hoenn as I work to complete the game.

Also worth noting that Holly Rising has started back up after a bit of an absence. What happens there affects almost all the other stories, even those in alternate timelines. So once prompts are given for Holly Rising, that will take priority over this until complete. Holly Rising is expected to be done mid 2018.

After that there will be Diary, and any other gameplay related stories (but not their corresponding story only parts). What follows will be Daughter and Corruption (if not completed before then). Finally, I will be working on the sequel to Holly Rising, called Flowers Falling. This will be done after bit of research, and the sequel to _that_ is Purpose Searching.

Once all this is done, the works in Holly Rising's timeline will be completed. However, there is still a companion story or two that takes place there. Since Holly Rising's timeline interacts with Usurping's, these companion stories probably will not start until Usurping does. The outcome of Holly Rising's timeline also affects the prequel to Usurping, Mold Breaker. However, there are still snippets of Holly's Rising's story that will be shown within Usurping (similar to the dream sequences shown off in Knowledge).

This is mainly to explain the different actions each of the protagonists took, and what led them down their chosen paths. However, Usurping doesn't make much sense without Mold Breaker, so Mold Breaker will be completed before Usurping starts. Usurping's third book is planned to be the last in the Traveler series, including companion stories. However, there may be also a spinoff series taking place in the far future, but not many details are known.

But that of the way, there is also going to be an additional story added. I have plans for doing a run of Pokémon Stadium 2, with the intent of 100% completion. However, the story around that game has changed. It was originally connected to another character that's going to show up in a different series, and was also originally going to be a challenge run on top of that. Unfortunately, this prolongs that characters story, when her story was almost as long as Traveler's. Also, Pokémon Stadium 2 is ill-suited for the type of challenge from that I was planning to do.

So instead, there will be no challenge runs, and Gracie will go through the Stadium. This run will be a part of Angel, shown off at the end of the solos. However, it will be a separate story when logged in through gameplay. The reason for Pokémon Stadium 2 being included with Gracie has to do with something that comes up much later in the story. I won't say much about it now because it's a pretty heavy spoiler. However, I will say that one of the fights near the end of one of the games would have been almost impossible to write otherwise. This is despite the fact that said fight is very important for both gameplay and story.

There's also another change involving Stadium, and this has to do with a place called White City. In the games, White City was a place where the player could fight some of the toughest trainers that were known at the time. They could do so through a variety of different modes, and the goal was to get to the end of them all. There are also places where the player could take part in minigames, play on the Game Boy Color, and even get lessons about battling. However, it's unknown where White City is actually located, and no other media makes any mention of it.

The Traveler series fixes that.

Normally, in the games, the Pokémon League for Kanto and Johto is in the same place and treated as one area. The Elite Four is also shared between the two. Holly Rising's RP follows suit.

Usurping, however, doesn't.

Instead, the Kanto and the Johto League are two separate facilities, each with their Elite Four. The Kanto Pokémon League is still held to the east of Viridian, like in most media. The Johto League, on the other hand, is held in White City. White City is located at the end of the routes east of New Bark. It has two paths, one a bit further away from the city which leads to Victory Road and the League.

The other path leads into the city itself. In this city, tournaments, festivals, and Stadium battles are held. Trainers from all over come to stay and compete in White City, and civilians enjoy watching the battles. One of the most popular events involves a traditional Johto series of Stadium fights and modes. With this, the entire city comes to life, and people flock from all over to try their luck.

This festival is considered one of the most prestigious but also difficult, undertakings. The Gym Leaders and Elite Four even gather for this event, taking residence in a castle in the city's corner. One must beat all of them and all the battles in the Stadium in order to become the festival's strongest. However, there's usually an opponent guarding that the summit as well, and the one aiming for the title is required to defeat him or her. Furthermore, completing all this for the first time makes everyone even stronger, and one can only become the true champion by going through it all again.

Usually, there's no restrictions as to who can fight in the battles and with what strategies. However, this festival is an exception. It's worth noting that the city was around since the time Johto was founded. The festival is thrown in order to celebrate the city's long heritage and the battle skills that were traditional for those ancient times. Therefore, Pokémon trainers are only allowed to use Pokémon originally present in Johto and Kanto. All battles are set so that they only use mechanics that were utilized during the ancient times of the town's founding (the mechanics of Gold, Silver, and Crystal).

All this explains why Pokémon Stadium 2 uses outdated mechanics, despite other generations existing in Traveler. However, anyone is allowed to come and watch. Furthermore, there's still festivals and battles for those who do not fit the traditional setting (meaning, later generations, or remakes). The festival that Gracie attends happens to be the most popular and well-known one. This floor has a bit of basis and gameplay as well, as Pokémon Stadium 2 is widely considered to be the best of the series' battle facilities. This is despite the fact that there are now other options and the game itself is very old.

Gracie doesn't fit the traditions, but she's more like a Trainer, she is let through. The Will, Karen, and Lance fights are as normal here, because the three originally held positions in Johto. I'm not sure I'm going to write the final fight, however, since the last battle in the game is Silver… And the person who I could use in his place cares nothing for tradition… I could write it so that Silver and his rebels are convinced to attack and try and take over the city… And since Silver has established himself as the strongest Trainer, Gracie realizes the only way to stop the rebels is to her way to the top…

But that's neither here nor there.

As it's now time for gameplay.

So, I'm in the ash fields of Fallarbor.

And I have to say I love the place.

Not only does it have awesome music, but it looks different from the rest of the route.

The entire area is grey as ash falls from the sky. Several characters will comment on this, with many saying that the player smells like ash. The grass is also gray, but will turn the normal green color as the player runs through it.

This is also a gameplay mechanic, the player can receive an item later down this route that can be used to collect ash. The ash can be then transformed into decorations and other useful things. These items can typically be gotten nowhere else. I am not sure if I will do this quest, because the process is rather tedious. In the original games, the player has to consistently run through the grass.

In the remakes, there are huge piles of ash that the player can run through. They will give varying quantities of material, but the player is never really told how much of the material each pile will give. Again, the mechanics are bit tedious, but the items are very good. I imagine Gracie will at least try to run through the ash, although she probably won't stick with it.

This place is also worth noting for story reasons.

It's the place where most players think Wally is going to die.

The reason for this is that Wally has to get through this area to have one of the Pokémon he has on his final team. However, with the constant ash falling from the sky, the area is a death trap for _anyone_ with a breathing problem. Wally is shown to have a breathing mask in Pokémon Special, but I feel like it would only do so much (for instance, if it got knocked off). Interestingly, another major character, the protagonist of Usurping, has a breathing condition. However, it works a little differently. Instead, this character has a Pokémon, Mew, and she uses its power to act as a filter. With this power, only clean air comes through, and the ash is forced out of her body.

The whole process works because Mew is shown to protect itself with a barrier in Pokémon Snap. It's normally used to repel the player's attempts to take a photo of it. However, I got the idea of using this barrier as a protective shield around the protagonist's lungs. The concept of it letting only clean air through is so Usurping's protagonist does not suffocate. However this also comes from the fact that the barrier does allow certain type of attacks to go through. However, the game (Pokémon Snap) doesn't really explain what those attacks are.

Something else happens here in the ash fields.

Gracie meets Toby.

Gracie asks him what he is doing there. Toby explains about his Trainer and what happened to him. Gracie responds with the phrase "Why don't you just train a Trainer?" Toby looks disgusted, stating that no amount of training could have allowed his Trainer to continue. He also acts offended, stating that Gracie's idea is stupid and that they are done here. Gracie thinks she's never seen a Pokémon that strong, but has also not seen one who's lost so much hope.

Anyway, I continue, fighting more battles along the way. Some of them are double battles, and my Zigzagoon evolves. Also noting that I start having Power Point problems here, but thankfully, the next city is not far.

Also, I decide to try to get some of the flutes after all, since they are useful. The red, yellow, and blue flutes heal sleep, confusion, and attraction. They are permanent items Gracie only needs to get one. Other items are here too, but they're used for influencing the appearance of wild Pokémon, and secret base decorations. Maybe Gracie takes an interest in flutes, or perhaps she even learns how to play one. It would definitely foreshadow something later… Regardless, she leaves with three of them.

On to Fallabor, but it's not like there's much here. It is a good place to stock up, however, as the battles from this point out start getting tougher. I quickly grab some X items that can be used to increase stats in battle. Considering what happened with Lance and his Dragon Types, it's a good idea to stock up on those… I also grab some more healing items, considering what I have is a bit outdated by now… Repels are incredibly useful, because there is a cave coming up.

Also, there is a woman standing by the PC. Her name is Lanette. She appears to be good friends with Bill, which is why the husband and wife in the Traveler series. She is quiet and polite, but also scatterbrained. Finally, she has an older sister named Bridget, but Bridget is not seen in the main games. If the player follows Bridget to her house in the south, she will give them a Pokémon doll. Since I'm not collecting dolls this run, I won't be doing that.

But there _is_ something I will be doing. And that is the next Battle Tent.

The next Battle Tent is quite interesting. Battles last three turns, and are measured by three categories. The first is mind, which goes up depending on how often a Pokémon attacks. The second is body, which measures how much HP a Pokémon has left by the end of the three turns. The final category is skill, which measures how efficiently moves are used. Moves that are super effective against an opponent raise the score. Moves that are not very effective lower it. Similarly, the skill rating goes up depending on whether a move hits. If a move misses, that rating goes down. At the end of the three turns, the Pokémon with a lower score is eliminated from the match. This happens regardless of whether the Pokémon was going to faint or not. Pokémon can still be knocked out normally, however.

May as well talk about the person in charge of the Battle Frontier version: Greta. Greta is one of my favorites, mainly because she's energetic and cheerful. I also like the amount of tactics that her area requires the player to use. Not to mention she contrasts well with her place in the Battle Frontier, because the trainers that guard the place are usually male hardened martial artists. However, she's anything but. Also worth noting that I believe she is one of the ones I actually beat in the Frontier.

So I could see Gracie greatly enjoying Greta's challenge. And Greta has a role in Traveler. In this story, she starts to set up things similar to her Battle Frontier challenge, and invites people to fight. One of the people that does so is the protagonist, and she does very well. This also has a peculiar effect on one of her Pokémon, Tulip, but neither truly realize what it is yet... She probably invites Gracie to battle too, and Gracie also does fairly well.

Hopefully. This is one of the few side quests that can be attempted on a solo run, due to how to it is set up. And it also happens to be one I like.

So I will give it a go. Linoone and Geodude are my support partners, although I don't expect them to do much.

Except they are surprisingly useful. The first two matches are easy, with opponents falling to Psychic and Shock Wave.

The last one, not as much.

There is a Kirlia, and I try to hit it with Shock Wave. However, it launches an Attract at me, preventing me from striking back. After that, it hits hard with Hypnosis and Dream Eater. The resulting damage and lack thereof causes the match to end in a tie. As a result, both Pokémon faint.

Linoone is forcefully sent out, trying to battle a Lombre that's 10 levels higher than it… Luckily, Lombre doesn't attack much other than Leech Seed and Rain Dance. This allows Linoone to defeat it with a Headbutt.

And my reward is a Hyper Potion. Not much to write home about, but still better than what I have at this point. Anyway, it seems I have to rescue Prof. Cosmo from Meteor Falls.

So now's the time to do that.

The Trainers aren't tough, but the route is long. I start running low on Power Points, but still have enough to enter the Falls.

Where I come face-to-face with Team Magma harassing Prof. Cosmo. Time to defeat them.

Or not.

Archie and his group arrive, chasing them off. However, it still clear the player and them are enemies, and they only came to the rescue because of Team Magma. The teams still don't get a proper introduction from anyone, but it will come in time…

Anyway, time to do some backtracking. According to Cosmo, Team Magma took off near Mt. Chimney. But heading south yields more battles, along with a few extra items.

The quickest way is through the newly formed tunnel, since the rest of the route is north of Rusburto.

So that's where I'm heading next.

Before long, I reach Mt. Chimney. However, Team Aqua and Team Magma are trying to destroy each other with a pack of Poochyena… Looks like I have no choice but to head to the top.

Where I defeat a bunch of Grunts.

And I encounter a Team Magma Admin: Tabitha.

Tabatha is easily mistaken for girl at first (to the point some fan works _make_ him a girl). Luckily, the remakes are clear that he is male… He's also a bit of a jokester in comparison to Courtney's more serious attitude. And many of his lines are hilarious... Not to mention that the remakes also add that he's one of the more intelligent members of the team, and one of the first to realize what could happen if their plans succeed… But I don't have much of an opinion on him... It's worth noting in the original version of the anime English dub, Tabatha was named Harlan. I might use that name in Traveler, as Tabatha is typically a girl's name…

Luckily, Tabatha goes down easily.

Leaving only Maxie left.

Maxie is an interesting character, because his personality got a bit of a redesign in the remakes. In the remakes, he also was expanded upon, but some parts were changed.

In the original version, he's shown to be stoic and ruthless, willing to stop at nothing to succeed in his plans. Maxie is also calculating, and doesn't lose his temper easily. However, while the remakes amp this up, he's also shown to have a strong sense of justice, warped though it is. Maxie is also polite even to his enemies, and quickly realizes how his plans could permanently damage the world. Unlike most team leaders, he is seen reforming at the end of the game, genuinely regretful over what he has done.

But some media have different interpretations.

Such as one where he succeeds in his plans, becoming genuinely ruthless with no redeeming qualities. And since it is clear his plans cause no disaster that he can't control, Maxie has no reason to be polite. Pokémon Special takes this interpretation, as does his postgame appearance in Ultra Sun and Moon. Traveler uses this interpretation as well.

After all, while he was the first evil team leader to be more affable, I always found his change in demeanor rather sudden. After all, why would he suddenly abandon his plans after chasing them for so long, as opposed to still finding a way to make them work (e.g. stealing the item that allows the player to control the legendary Pokémon)? He's shown no concern for the world beyond his own dreams before, so why would he then? And if his goal is to dry up the land, then he got what he wanted…

The remakes did a bit better by making his teammates question what happened. They tried to slowly try to convince Maxie that his ways were wrong. But it still felt a little sudden, especially compared to later examples (some of Team Galactic, Old Team Plasma in the Unova sequels, Guzma, N, and depending on who one asks, Cyrus).

Not to mention that one of his last line says that humans cannot freely control the balance between land and water. However, most people who pay attention to environmental science will _probably_ know that humans _can and will_ do that all the time… It makes the whole thing very odd… That's why I'd much prefer if he was completely evil like those before him… It's better than his character flip-flopping all over the place…

But he does have a very good battle theme, which I will hear as I fight him.

Unfortunately, I don't get to hear it long. He does have a Mightyena, which does some super effective damage to Gracie, but is nearly defeated by Shock Wave. Maxie tries to heal, but his Pokémon goes down on the next turn. His other two Pokémon, Zubat and Camelrupt, succumb quickly to Shock Wave and Psychic.

I retrieve the Meteorite, but I think I will stop there.

It's still a long way to the next Badge, and I have quite a lot to say about it.


	26. Taking the Heat

**Welcome to the next chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **26: Taking the Heat**

 **Day 25 (March 19, 2018): Hoenn**

Off with another Gracie episode! Probably be a long and busy one too! A lot of different areas to talk about, and many Badges to earn!

So let's get to it!

The first area is Jagged Pass. It's an area that heads straight down, featuring a few Trainers.

And it also punishes those who did not get the Arco Bike.

The Arco Bike can be gotten back in Mauville, and it can be used to jump over some obstacles. Typically, player would be forced only head downward until they reached the end of Jagged Pass. But with the Arco Bike, they can move back and forth by jumping on pebbles located throughout the area.

Which is exactly why brought the Arco Bike. That, and it's much easier to control.

Well, not easy enough. I have to slow down the game a bit to fight all the Trainers, but in the end, I make it through.

And I'm finally to Lavaridge.

Pardon me as I rant about how roundabout the whole trip was.

There are some ledges to the west as soon as the player heads north of Mauville. It seems like that would be the best place to go. But this is not the case, as the player cannot jump over the ledges.

Instead, the player must go through Fiery Path, and keep heading to the different routes until they hit Fallabor. Fallabor is rather out of the way, and the game doesn't give any hints that it relates to Lavaridge.

Which is what makes the whole thing so confusing.

But even then, the confusion continues. The player has to keep heading west, until they hit Meteor Falls. After doing the quest there, they have to travel _all the way back to the beginning of Fiery Path_. Alternatively, they can head to the south of Meteor Falls, and pass through the newly made tunnel. Either way, the player must return to where they were at the start of all this, and that could take a long time.

A new area opens up, Mt. Chimmey. The player has to walk in, take the cable car, and head up. Defeating the evil team leader at the top reveals the way to Jagged Pass. However, it's barely visible, and there's only a slight hint that the player has to head south (a tiny flashing arrow in the bottom of the screen). Then, after _all_ this is completed, they have to walk down Jagged Pass, or around it if they have the Arco Bike (and the games also gives _no_ hints that the Bike is even needed). When the player is _finally_ done with that, they can head west into Lavaridge.

And unfortunately, the game doesn't tell the player _any_ of this, it takes a lot of time as they run around the region, and there is a massive amount of backtracking. Not to mention that the game hardly gives any hints that the new areas connect to the player's goal, or when they are accessible. The only slight clue the player has is that Mt. Chimmey is inaccessible at first, due to Magma grunts, and that the only way forward is to the north.

So, this quickly becomes one of the most frustrating parts in the game.

Lavaridge should have been closer, or least given more hints about where it was. Maybe even take the ledges out. I can remember myself and many a confused player trying to jump over the ledges, only to realize that was not possible and having no idea where to go next… Unfortunately, Hoenn has a problem with a lot of backtracking and long-winded quests its latter half, as I will show off in future parts of updates.

But now that I finally got here, it's time to explore Lavaridge.

For all the time it took to get here, the town really isn't much. There's an herbal shop, where medicine can be bought cheaper, but Pokémon dislike taking it. I don't plan on using this shop, mainly because I have enough money for normal things. A woman here will also give the player an Egg that will hatch into a Wynaut, but I don't take it. In the remakes, later on in the game, she will give an egg that will hatch into a Togepi.

And then there's the Hot Springs. It's a shame because they're supposed to be the pride and joy of the town, and help Trainers relax. Unfortunately, they don't do anything. Oddly enough, Pokémon don't seem to be able to go into the Hot Springs, with someone mentioning that it would be odd if they did. It's even stranger Pokémon _do_ go into Hot Springs in the previous games (Sevii in Kanto) and in anime (Cinnabar). The remakes added a bit more relevance to the Hot Springs by allowing the player to find hidden Pokémon there. However, this can only be done twice.

In the Traveler series, Pokémon _can_ go into Hot Springs, provided they behave themselves (e.g. no launching attacks, or forcing someone in that may be weak to it). So Gracie goes in and enjoys the Hot Springs. It may also be mentioned that the protagonist of Usurping enjoys them as well. It's mainly because she has a medical condition that makes her muscles stiff. So the hot water relaxes her, and sometimes even makes her fall asleep. I'm not sure where Gracie would learn this though. However, she thinks that it's at least one positive story about the Mold Breaker, and one thing they have in common.

But enough about that.

On to the Gym.

Flannery's Gym is entire room of geysers. The player must fall into and rise from the geysers in order to progress. Some geysers hide trainers, and once the Trainer is fought, they will remain there. It can be a bit annoying to remember which geyser leads to which area, but I find it simpler than other puzzles (like Sabrina's).

So it's time to take it on.

The Trainers are easy, but I do get a little lost with the puzzle. I'm not sure how I will write this in, but maybe Gracie doesn't have a sense of direction…

Anyway, on to Flannery.

Flannery is unfortunately not one of my favorite characters. I like her because she is a female Gym Leader, but not for much else. Flannery appears to be shy, but just really insecure and under-confident. However, she hides this insecurity under a mask of arrogance and bravado, but it's easy to see through… The game tries to explain Flannery's issues as her being young. However, several other Gym Leaders are young or otherwise new to their positions and they are fine… The anime does not help Flannery's case, as it shows her falling asleep during lessons, and otherwise not paying attention…

And in the Traveler universe, she is not fought as a Gym Leader at all.

In the Traveler universe, she is the sister of Sinnoh Gym Leader Candice (who is also not a Gym Leader in the series). They are the daughters of Glacia, and enjoy the prestige that earns them. More on that relationship later, by the way, but it is based on a fan theory that Glacia married Flannery's father. The games neither confirm nor deny this, and that theory has largely been forgotten. However, I thought that it was interesting, and used it here.

Anyway, the sisters travel together, and their clashing personalities leads to some interesting dialogue. They also receive help from Glacia at times, and the protagonist of Usurping later joins them. Once Glacia figures that out, she tries to help the protagonist of Usurping as well. The protagonist tries to refuse the help, but Glacia continues insisting. She explains that anyone who is willing to protect her daughters deserves her aid, and that the protagonist of Usurping can't possibly do everything alone. Reluctantly, the protagonist accepts. Later on, Candice and Flannery start making reckless decisions, such as mismanaging money, and putting their Pokémon in danger. The protagonist of Usurping is unsure what to do, because of the laws favoring the younger Trainers.

Things come to a head when she and her Pokémon get forcibly traded to Diantha. For the record, the reason she and her Pokémon can be traded together is because she is a Pokemorph. At this time, she and her Pokémon can also act separately to an extent, so the trade is able to go through. However, more details on _that_ will come later. The girls try to trick Diantha by giving her an empty Poke Ball. So, at first the Kalos Champion believes she has done a regular trade. However, Diantha figures out the truth when she realizes the Pokémon she received has no Ball, and recalling it doesn't work. The protagonist of Usurping is forced to reveal her identity, and is devastated. However, Diantha comforts her, telling her to report to the League if she believes something is wrong.

The protagonist is afraid of getting herself in trouble. However, Diantha says that under the right circumstances, the League can vouch for her. Furthermore, Diantha states that it is safer for her friends, because then can learn right from wrong. She also explains that this is no different from being a younger trainer, and having to get help from someone older. Diantha reassures that even if the protagonist _is_ charged, Diantha has the power to remove any charges as the Champion of the Kalos League (similar to a presidential pardon). So there's nothing to fear. Phoebe also appears at some point during this scenario, telling the protagonist that she made the right choice by stepping up. Phoebe has met the protagonist several times by this point and is someone that she trusts, at least partially.

This situation also paves the way for the protagonist of Usurping's character development. It also gets her more emboldened about reporting things and otherwise desiring the League's protection. This ties into the idea of changing the laws, so that the older Trainers can have a more balanced system. In any case, Candice and Flannery get in trouble. Although I am not sure yet what the punishment will be.

It's also worth noting that in Holly Rising, Candice and Flannery are never reported. This is because the protagonist has an antagonistic relationship with the League, and especially with Diantha. Many believe that she is guilty for letting the behavior continue. However, the protagonist is able to get out of it because there is no proof that she even knew that the behavior existed. Also, unlike in Usurping, the protagonist cannot have her memory searched as proof. In Usurping, she _still_ can't have her memory searched, but she finds a way around it later on. This is how she becomes innocent of any crimes when she meets with Diantha after the failed trade.

It's unknown if Gracie will learn about any of this, or how much she will know. However, she probably won't learn about anything initially. But as a result, another character takes Flannery's place.

That character is her father. He is mentioned to be a powerful Fire Type Trainer, to the point where he used to be in the Elite Four. However, it is unknown what happened to him since, and no canon characters match his description. Therefore, I like to think he stepped down to spend more time with his family, and he is an OC other than what little is known of his back story.

With all the lore done, time to fight Flannery in the games.

It's a pretty easy battle, with all her Pokémon being taken down by Psychic.

But now I have to do more backtracking.

Because my next opponent is Norman of Petalburg.

Also, there are some side quests that open up here. One of them involves a bunch of Trainers appearing at Mt. Chimmey. I can easily fight them for extra experience.

The biggest one is probably a new area, the desert. Of course, I'm going to head there.

The desert is a bit of an oddity, because the player needs the Go-Googles to traverse it. This is despite the fact that the items are not needed in any other desert area. The desert is like a cave, with almost all the sand able to trigger encounters. Furthermore, Sandstorm is constantly in effect. When this happens, Pokémon that are not Ground, Steel, or Rock are damaged every turn.

There are a bunch of Pokémon and Trainers here, although they are not that tough. The biggest issue is a Pokémon called Trapinch. Trapinch has Arena Trap, which forces the foe to stay in battle unless they are above the ground. Luckily, they can be avoided with Repels.

The last area worth noting is something exclusive to Emerald. It is called the Mirage Tower, appearing randomly when the player enters the desert. In this area, the player traverses crumbling floors using the Mach Bike. At the end, the player can obtain one of two fossil Pokémon. The other will disappear, but can be found after the main game is cleared.

Also, I forgot to mention that I found a Team Magma Grunt in the Jagged Pass. _Surely_ he won't be relevant later…

Anyway, onto the desert.

The Sandstorm does cause some issues, mainly injuring Gracie by making her take damage every turn. Thankfully, I manage to get through.

The last area businesses is the Trick House, and then to head through the tunnel to Petalburg.

The puzzles are just finding my way through doors that open and close, and of course, beating up weak Trainers. Unfortunate, my bag is too full to accept the Trick Master's reward, but he keeps it until the next challenge is completed. It's just a Hard Stone, though, so nothing noteworthy.

A quick trip through the tunnel, and finally, to Norman.

Norman's Gym has an interesting gimmick. Each Trainer only has one Pokémon, and is fought alone. However, they each specialize in a certain stat. What stat they specialize in can be read on the Gym doors. On the first turn, the Trainer will use an item to boost their stat (e.g. X Attack for a physical attack user). The exception is a room that specializes in healing items, for obvious reasons. Norman himself abandons his trainers' philosophy for an all-out offensive, but he's plenty powerful. The player only has to fight three Trainers to get to him, but they can choose to fight everyone in the Gym if they wish.

Then there's Norman himself, but I will talk about him after I go through the puzzle.

The Trainers fall quickly to Psychic, and only Norman remains.

Norman is a bit of a conundrum, and I'm not sure how I feel about him. In the games and the anime, Norman is shown as strict, but willing to do anything for his children. This is particularly noticeable in the anime. May's Pokémon is stolen and Norman doesn't hesitate to run off to rescue it, even though he gets himself a trap. He also makes time to watch every single event involving May's journey as a Coordinator, no matter how busy he is at his Gym.

However, the manga paints him as a villain. Ruby, his son, is disgusted with him, and Norman seems to care almost only about his job. When Norman forbids Ruby from going on a journey, Ruby runs away anyway. Norman's reaction is to scold him for this, but it ends up turning into a fierce battle in which Ruby almost kills Norman. Thankfully, Gabby and Ty were watching, realized that the danger in the battle. They were able to calm the two by commanding a wild Castform. After that, father and son make up at least a little bit, although not much.

The remakes shift of being villainous to almost neglectful, once again prioritizing his Gym duties over almost everything else. They also apply that his marriage was beginning to fall apart. Norman has a child in all adaptations, but who child is depends on the medium. In the anime, it's the female protagonist. In the manga, it's the male. The games leave it ambiguous.

Holly Rising takes the more villainous interpretation seen in both the remakes and the manga. Usurping takes the gentler interpretation seen in the originals and the anime. I always liked that interpretation better, because it's the more realistic depiction of someone who truly loves their family even though their job duties sometimes get in the way. The other interpretations paint Norman as neglectful and in the manga's case, abusive. However, I don't believe he is. The protagonist has trouble either way.

Her Holly Rising's incarnation absolutely _hates_ Norman. She doesn't hesitate to tell him how she feels and antagonize him at all costs. This is because he reminds her of her father, and the damage his uncaring attitude and workaholic nature did to his family. In Usurping, there's not as much damage done, but she still has trouble with Norman and other stern male figures. Usurping's protagonist is more confused than anything, as Norman maintains a happy marriage despite his busy lifestyle and is close to his children.

It's also clear that he supports them, which her own father hardly ever did. And even though the separation is amicable in Usurping, it's clear that there's some aspects of the family that the protagonist's father no longer cares about. Sometimes she thinks that that he was just biding his time until he could leave. I'm not sure how she would work to get over those bad memories, but I don't think Norman would be involved. This might be where Falkner comes in, since Morty is not shown as being particularly strict. Not to mention, Falkner was supposed to become close to Usurping's protagonist in the original drafts.

Anyway, on to the match.

It's not much of one at first, with his Pokémon falling easy to Psychic.

Until Norman brings out his ace, Slaking.

Slaking is well known for being one of the strongest Pokémon available. It has an ability that makes it so it only moves every other turn. However, this is offset by its incredibly high Attack, decent other stats, and a wide movepool. On top of that, once the ability is removed, Slaking can be downright terrifying. Luckily, Norman doesn't have the means to do that…

To demonstrate, it takes one Psychic, going down into half health despite Gracie being about 10 levels higher than it. Slaking then proceeds to retaliate with Façade, which throws her at half HP. Luckily, Gracie is able to take it out on the next turn, but I imagine if the battle had continued going on, it wouldn't have ended well…

Anyway, I get the next Badge, and am also immediately given Surf.

A bunch of side quests have now opened up, but I will save them for next time, as I approach the last quarter of the arc.


	27. In the Trees

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **27\. In The Trees**

 **Day 26 (March 21, 2018): Hoenn**

Off to another Gracie episode, having just obtained Surf! Now that I have that, it's time to do a bit of side questing.

There are a few items in Petalburg, and then I'm off to Mauville.

Once the player defeats Norman, a very important quest opens up. This quest is in a place called New Mauville. Wattson appears in the center of town, and asks the player to go switch off the generator. If the player does this, they will be rewarded with the TM for Thunderbolt. Since this is one of the most powerful moves Gracie can learn, I will gladly do the quest.

Also worth noting that in the remakes, this event was moved to near the end of the game. Furthermore, in the originals, New Mauville was a proper dungeon with plenty of traps and wild Pokémon to find. In the remakes, it has only one room, items straight at the front, and not many Pokémon. I have no idea why the developers decided to do all those changes, but it's not something I'm particularly happy with.

Anyway, off I go.

Luckily, it's a very short dungeon, so I quickly return and earn Thunderbolt. Normally I would replace Shock Wave with it, but the areas of a lot of Pokémon weak to electricity. Furthermore, opponents later on have Pokémon that lower accuracy, so Shock Wave always hitting helps.

Now for the rest the side quests. Next up is the Trick House.

There is a strength puzzle that I have to slow down the game for, but other than that, nothing much.

So my next destination is north of Rusburto.

I just want to say that one of the complaints against the game is that there is too much water. This complaint is not entirely unfounded.

There _is_ a lot of water in this game, probably more so than any other region. And of course the player has to traverse it all.

And _it_ starts with these quests.

After heading over some water to the north, I'm in an area with some Trainers and grass with wild Pokémon.

The Trainers here aren't very tough, but one does do a lot of damage with a Hariyama's Fake Out. Also worth noting that Gracie tried to learn Future Sight sometime before this. I think it may have been in Norman's Gym…

But now I must head to the area south of Petalburg.

Water routes await, and there are a _lot_ of them…

The routes that took me to Dewford and Slateport are accessible now, but they are long and full of Trainers. A new dungeon is also here, and it happens to be one of my favorites in the games. This is also why I wanted to have both Thunderbolt and Shock Wave, since most of the Trainers here have Water Type Pokémon.

There are some Power Point issues, and I realize that my bag is full… Unfortunately, Dewford does not have a Pokemart, so I have to set sail for Slateport. Luckily, I make it there and sell off my items.

And it's off to the new dungeon, the Abandoned Ship.

The Abandoned Ship is one of the dungeons that was heavily changed in the remakes. Unfortunately, not for the better. I was liked it because it was a ship, and it was kind of creepy. Not to mention the music really is incredible, and ups the creepiness…

However, the remakes transformed it into a tourist attraction, calling it Sea Mauville. I can see realistically why someone would do that. This is because the ship would just continue falling into disrepair if someone didn't… I guess it's kind of like a museum… But it still gets rid of a lot of the creepiness and supernatural feel that the original one had… The dungeon in the remakes was mainly kept intact otherwise, with new areas being added… There was also a side story that is actually incredibly sad. However, the player will have to hunt around and find documents scattered about the ship in order to piece everything together…

It's worth noting that several stories taking place of the original Abandoned Ship have people _living there_ , and making do with what they can… Perhaps that might've been the inspiration for polishing it up in the remake… Gracie may reference this, although it's unknown if anyone will try living there in Traveler… I can think of a person that might, but it would be rather creepy…

And I'm ready to progress, heading back to Mauville in order to cross the water to the east. I'm running fairly low on items, but aren't many Marts around until the next city…

Steven is met here, but the encounter is very different depending on the remakes versus the originals. In the originals, it was a simple talk about what types of Pokémon the player preferred. In the remakes, Steven starts to have this talk, but then the Legendary Bird of Hoenn appears. The specific Pokémon depends on the player's game.

It takes the player and Steven to Southern Island, a remote area in Hoenn. In this place, the other Legendary Bird has been attacked by the evil team, and it's up to the player and Steven to save it. Luckily, the two succeed, the Bird joins the player's party, and Steven gives the player the power to use Mega Evolution. I honestly have to say that this event was done very well, and it's one of my favorites. Gameplay wise, it removes some of the frustration of the originals, such eliminating the need to run around looking for the Legendary Bird. It also gives the player a much easier option throughout the game, in a part where the difficult to really starts to ramp up.

Story wise, the dialogue between Steven and the player is charming, and the interactions with the evil team are hilarious. Also worth noting that the player probably would never visit Southern Island in the originals.

In order to get to Southern Island, the player had to have something in real life called an Eon Ticket. This Eon Ticket was only available via an early version of Nintendo Power magazine. But simply _having_ the ticket was not enough. The player also had to have a real life machine called an E-reader. The E-reader would attach to the game cartridge, activating certain events through cards that were scanned to it. Players then had to scan the Eon Ticket through the E-Reader in order to activate the event. After that, they talk to Norman, who gives out the Eon Ticket in the game. Going to either of Hoenn's ports and showing the ticket takes the player to the Southern Island. Once there, they will battle the opposite Bird of their version, and obtain a special item called a Soul Dew.

Needless to say, I'm glad this event is no longer needed.

But I remember that I was one of the lucky few who actually got their hands on an Eon Ticket. I was an avid reader of Nintendo Power at the time the original games came out. It was one of the best sources of game information at the time. And I got the Eon Ticket without even knowing it was there... Sadly, Nintendo Power is no longer in production, and the games are obviously outdated now. But at the time, it was really cool to have something that hardly anyone else had…

The event can still be activated in the remakes, but it's much easier. The Eon Ticket is available via a code, and anyone who has it can give it to others by simply having a mechanic called Streetpass activated. When they pass other players that have this mechanic active, the ticket will be transferred over. Streetpass is activated almost by default on a player's device, so it's not that difficult.

Oh, I was just listening to some music from the original games… I have to say that while some of the remixes were good, I prefer the originals. This is mainly because Hoenn had a very distinct type of music, which the remakes just don't have… There are some pieces that are very excellent , however, but they don't come up until much later…

Speaking of originals, I should probably finish speaking about the characters that are exclusive to the original games, because the playthrough won't see them otherwise.

First one is Brandon, head of the Battle Pyramid. His facility is always one of my favorites, being a long area similar to a traditional dungeon in other RPGs. The player cannot catch Pokémon or gain experience from any fights in the dungeon. They are also only allowed to use items that they find there. The player's goal is to get to the top, where they have to battle Brandon. Brandon is known for using legendary Pokémon, along with a few other powerful ones. I do know that I have battled him on previous runs, but I do not know if I beat him.

As for his personality himself, I like him as a character. He not only is he a powerful batter, but he also calls out those who overestimate their own strength. He's one of the few who calls out Ash's arrogance and overconfidence. This is especially when he has to battle him after the latter becomes possessed by an evil spirit. Brandon is one of the first to realize something is wrong. He later scolds Ash because his arrogance and overconfidence is what got him possessed in the first place. Brandon also gives Paul a similar lecture, but unlike Ash, it is doubtful Paul takes it to heart. When Reggie couldn't beat Brandon, Brandon mentioned that he was under-confident. This made Reggie realize that battling was not his true calling. So he instead became a breeder, and since then, was perfectly happy.

I'm not sure how the protagonist of Usurping would react to Brandon, but I imagine he would admire her tenacity. He probably would tell her something about her lack of confidence, though… This is because her mental breakdowns cause her to unsure somewhat frequently and push herself until there are dire consequences… As for Gracie, I don't know if she'll meet him. I'm not doing the Frontier this run, and Brandon doesn't play huge from the story at this point. That's not to say he won't play more of a role in the story when it is more developed…

Anyway, on I go.

The routes to the north introduce something new. This is the first encounter with very tall grass. This grass hides a lot of Trainers and items, but can be cleared away if the player's party knows Cut. Furthermore, it is impossible to use the bike in the grass. The remakes, however, made that possible.

It's also worth noting that the area is always raining, so Water Type Pokémon will receive an advantage and Fire Type Pokémon will be disadvantaged. It's not really an issue for Gracie either way, because she doesn't know moves of either type. There's also not many opponents that use those Types, at least for now.

I do start having Power Point issues here, though. It's also worth noting that I found a Trainer in the sand after swerving to the west. I'd forgotten that Trainer, along with a Secret Base, existed. Maybe that's where the protagonist of Usurping will hold her Secret Base, but maybe not. The city I'm coming up on is a bit too out in the country for her…

Also, I believe there is a character that will tell the player where the Secret Base is, if they have made one. In the remakes, the player could simply find their Base on the game's map. There was, however, a new character introduced that would give out quests and otherwise teach the player how to make Secret Bases. However, I will get to explaining him when I arrive at the next city, because he starts giving the quests there.

Finally, I reach it, the Weather Institute. The Weather Institute has been taken over by Team Aqua, and it appears it's my job to drive them out… Thankfully after the long trek, there is a place to heal and use a PC. I quickly heal, but I don't need a PC.

So instead, I just continue to go beat up some of the grunts.

And then there is another member of Team Aqua, Shelly. I don't have much of an opinion on her, but she's a bit more laid back than most of the other members. She also got a major redesign in the remakes, so I do not know which one she will use in the Traveler series.

Anyway, her Pokémon go down quickly to Gracie's Electric Type attacks. And I receive a new Pokémon, Castform. Castform is unfortunately pretty useless in battle, despite being cute and having the interesting gimmick of changing form with the weather. It is not bad in contests, though… The developers of the game acknowledged this, and gave it a high Beauty stat (more on what that means a little while later).

Anyway, on I go.

Straight into a Rival fight.

His Pokémon are defeated easily, and I make my way to Fortree.

Which I have to say is one of my favorite cities.

I always thought that the entire town being treehouses was cool, even though I'm not much for rural areas. I enjoy high places. Furthermore, the whole treehouse mechanic reminded me of a treehouse my siblings and I used to have when we were younger… We spent quite a bit of time there, pretending it was a secret hideout… And we brought our dogs there, too, although we quickly found out that their favorite activity was launching themselves from the trees... Thankfully, no one was hurt…

Speaking of hurt, I wonder how people avoid getting tangled up in all the ladders… I could see someone doing that in Traveler… And of course the protagonist would have to have a Pokémon carry her up, because she can't physically climb ladders… Maybe the city would have flying Pokémon for that purpose, or it might just be something they don't think about, considering the lack of disabled trainers in the series…

Anyway, on to the city itself, especially onto a new character. Well, new in the remakes, at least…

In the remakes, Fortree City was home to a character named Aarune. He was a master of Secret Bases, and first teaches the player how to use them. When he is encountered again in Fortree, he can be fought as an optional battle. He is fairly powerful, and uses Dragon Type Pokémon.

Aarune also gives the player various quests and upgrades for their Secret Base. In particular, he enjoys it when the player collects flags for their Secret Base. If the player manages to collect 1000 flags, he will give them a Mega Stone. Aarune was a former Pokémon Ranger, originally from Unova, and has a very energetic personality. It's a shame, because I feel like he's a character that could've really benefit from more development. Unfortunately, he's stuck in a Pokémon game, where almost no one gets development… Aarune is still one of my favorite characters, so he will probably appear teaching someone about Secret Bases.

Now, time to explore.

Someone gives out Hidden Power here, but unfortunately, there is no one to say what Type and power the move is… I'd rather not waste a move slot, so I don't teach it to anyone. Also worth noting that I picked up Fly after the Rival battle, and it has been taught the party.

I like to go to the Gym, but there's a little quest I have to do first. This requires defeating a hidden Pokémon using a special item.

So time to get to it.

I have to head to the route to the west, and battle a few more Trainers. Gracie tries to learn Hypnosis, but I stop her from doing so. I also have to battle a hidden Pokémon, Kecleon. Doing this allows me to battle others of its species that are also hidden, because I get the Devon Scope as a reward. Now, I can finally access the Gym.

Unfortunately, I find this whole quest to be rather nonsensical. I feel like someone would notice if something was in the Gym's way, especially the Leader. So to have it be blocked off for so long doesn't seem right… Not to mention the Scope has no use after this… So the whole quest before even entering the Gym could have been done without it… The remakes gave the scope a few more uses after the main game was cleared, but it still remained fairly unusable…

Anyway, into the Gym I go.

The Gym involves rotating doors, and the player must walk at them in certain directions in order to progress. Along the way, there are also many Trainers who will challenge the player with their Flying Type Pokémon. Good thing I have two Electric Type moves…

Finally, I make it to Winona.

Her Pokémon fall easily, but there is still one worth noting. That Pokémon is her Altaria. It knows Dragon Dance at a much earlier level than is typically possible. Furthermore, it's not possible for the player to obtain Altaria at the level Winona has hers at. This is because Swablu evolves at level 35, while Winona's Pokémon is level 33… In the remakes, this was fixed and Altaria was given Cotton Guard (something which it could learn upon evolving)…

I kind of wish the remakes kept the set from the originals, however. It actually made the Gym fight fairly difficult. Not only does Dragon Dance boost Attack and Speed, but Altaria had a fairly good physical moves that to use it with… Once it got enough boosts, it could outspeed almost anything the player had, and hit back with massive damage… Considering the main story in Pokémon is not known to be challenging, this fight was quite refreshing… It also notable that hilariously, since Fly was not required to complete the game, the player could walk right up the League without Winona's Badge… Of course, they would have to go back and get it before they could head to the end of the game. This was corrected in the remakes.

As for Winona herself, she's one of the Gym Leaders I really like. Mainly because she is female and a Flying type user. Not to mention her team is pretty decent in both of the original games, and she's actually fairly challenging there. I may have someone lose to her, although I'm not sure who… In her source material, she is a bit silly, but also protective and a leader. The anime shows her as being kind, but unafraid to help others. In one episode, she doesn't hesitate to have her Pokémon fly her to a burning city square, even though she could very well be injured (she isn't, thankfully).

In the Pokémon Special manga, she supervises all Hoenn Gym Leaders, and is shown to be good at her job. She also enjoys training others, and helping out those who might have confidence issues. She does this with both Flannery and May (or rather, May's manga counterpart, Sapphire). In the Pokémon Special manga, she is in a relationship with Wallace, but it's never stated if that relationship goes anywhere. A lot of fan interpretations pair her up with Falkner, but there is no canon evidence to support this.

This is mainly where I got the idea of her wanting to change the laws to protect all Trainers. This is why she wants to have Wally become her ward, so that he would not get into trouble. Winona gets along well with the main protagonist, but it takes the latter a while to recover from the shock of what has happened. Winona might actually appear in Usurping, as the protagonist and Wally try to mend their relationship. I am not sure of Wally will be in the study, though, either from being too old or because his constant health issues would make things difficult.

Winona played a large part in the original version of Traveler, taking Karen's role in solving disputes among the Hoenn cast. She also acted as a leader to the others, trying to protect them as best she could. A rouge trainer decides to attack May directly with his Pokémon after thinking she is threatening him, Winona tries to stop the conflict but is unsuccessful. Eventually, the protagonist of that version of Traveler shows up.

She rather violently defeats the Trainer, but at that point no one is paying attention. Instead, everyone is trying to help May with her injury and hoping other attacks do not occur. Winona is one of the first ones to help, and is able to calm me down enough to be healed. After that, Ash takes notice of what the protagonist did, and tries to challenge her to a battle. Unfortunately, that was where the story ended, with almost no other notes from that particular time.

However, what is interesting is in that the team the protagonist planned to use had Mightyena as her strongest Pokémon… And she also defeats Ash as violently as she does in the Johto story before. What makes this interesting is that Mightyena is also the same Pokémon species that attacked May earlier on. So it would have been fascinating to see the characters' reactions, but unfortunately, the story never got that far. As for what role Winona plays in Traveler now, it's mostly explained in Wally's entry. However, that's not to say she won't play an even bigger role in the future…

And that's it for now. The path to the next Gym is long, and I want to have enough time to get to it. So in the next update, I will begin the last quarter of the game.


	28. Hidden Cove

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **28\. Hidden Cove**

 **Day 27 (March 23, 2018): Hoenn**

Off to Hoenn again… To the last quarter of the game… Unfortunately, it's a bit of a slog, so I may take a while to get through it…

However, I will persevere.

So I continue, first to the Trick House…

There are no battles here, but instead a bunch of quiz questions. The field is in the shape of a question mark, and the player must get five questions right in order to pass. If they get even one question wrong, they are sent back to the beginning.

Unfortunately, the questions can be rather difficult, so I start getting some of them wrong. Eventually, I am able to pass. The Trick Master gives a rather useful TM, Taunt. I don't think Gracie can learn it, and I won't be using it here.

Now to head off again to the routes to the east. As before, it is always raining. Also, unlike before, there are Trainers that can take advantage of the rain. The route is also rather long, so I have to be careful.

So I don't have any trouble against the Trainers, but I start running out of Power Points. My bag is also full of items. I quickly duck into the Safari Zone to use the PC, since it will be a while before I have access to a Mart.

Also, may as well mention the Safari Zone here. In the original, the Safari Zone is no different than the one in Kanto. However, in the remakes, it's based off of the one in Kalos. In this Safari Zone, Trainers can take as many steps as they want, and use their own Balls and Pokémon in order to fight. I think it's a neat little addition, because it makes the Safari Zone much less frustrating… However, I'm not heading there this run. I make a quick stop at the next city, but only to heal.

Instead, I'm heading south to Mt. Pyre. This is Hoenn's Pokémon burial ground, and while it is creepy, it has some very good music… It also is surrounded by water and acts like a cave once inside. Therefore, I make sure to bring Repels. Also worth noting that there is a woman that will heal the player's party at this point in the remakes, but she is not present in the originals.

Unfortunately, this means the player has to move forward to the next city or backtrack to the previous one. Really, the remakes did a fantastic job making sure the player did not have to backtrack as much by having extra healing spots and or have characters offer to take them to the places they would normally need to backtrack to… It really makes the game less tedious…

Did some experimenting with Hidden Power… Gracie's Type is Rock, which isn't all that useful this run… Note that in the story, she will still be seen wielding Hidden Power. This is even if she ends up not using it in gameplay, because she was taught it in order to figure out the Type… As for what the Type the move should be, I am not sure. However, it may be based on her final stat totals, especially since Hidden Power has a fixed attack power of 60 in the newer games…

Anyway, on to Mt Pyre.

The inside only contains some extra Trainers and items, but I go in there anyway for experience.

The outside contains wild Pokémon, and eventually some battles with Grunts. Also worth noting that this area has some of the coolest music in the game. On top of that, it has a very misty background near a bunch of graves. This place gives a very eerie, but powerful feeling, one that's difficult to describe… Interestingly, in the original draft of Traveler, someone's Secret Base was supposed to be here... That got moved for various reasons, but sometimes I wonder what would've happened if it had stayed… I'm thinking in terms of the various reactions the characters would have…

Anyway, I arrive just in time to see the sacred Orbs stolen... I can't chase after the thief, but I do get something called Magma Emblem… I have a feeling this will be important for later…

For now, I head to the south.

The south is an optional route that can be traversed differently depending on ledges. Each path has varying Pokémon, items, and Trainers. In this run, I'm only doing the route once. Also worth noting that the Berry Master's house is here. As the name implies, he grows many berries, with fields to place more in. He also gives the player a berry every day. His wife will ask the player tell her a saying. Depending on the saying, she will hand out any berry. It is possible to get rare ones from her, but I don't.

Instead, I do have Power Point problems.

So time to head back and enter the next city.

Lilycove.

Lilycove has a lot to do in it. And it's home to one of the coolest sidequests in the game.

Pokémon Contests.

Pokémon contests are what one guide so amusingly referred to as a dog show with attack moves. Pokémon are shown off to the audience, and the audience votes for the one that they think is the best. After that, they each Pokémon has to demonstrate moves for five rounds. These moves have various effects, from causing opponents lose points, helping a Pokémon to gain points, protecting Pokémon from opponents' attacks, or even being something so strong the move leaves the user out of the rest of the round.

In order to win the first round, Pokémon must eat something called Pokéblocks. These blocks increase one of five stats (coolness, toughness, beauty, smartness, or cuteness). Each move is also assigned a stat. If the Pokémon uses a move that matches a contest stat, they gain points. If they use a move that is the opposite stat of the contest they're trying to participate in, they have a chance of _losing_ points. The goal is to get the most points in both rounds combined. After winning a contest rank, a Pokémon is allowed participate in the next rank. This continues up until the Master rank.

Pokémon Contests happen to be one of my favorite sidequests because they actually rely on tactics. No matter how strong a certain Pokémon becomes, they cannot simply outlevel opponents or throw random attacks at them. Winning a Contest takes careful consideration of what each move does, and what an opponent might do. It also usually requires a completely different moveset that than what Pokémon might use in regular battles. For this reason, Gracie probably won't do the Contests in this run, but will be shown competing otherwise.

The Contests also have another feature attached to them; paintings. If one heads to the art museum, there will be a man that shows them an empty exhibit. He is not sure what to put in it, and asks the player for ideas. Should the player compete in a Master Rank contest, there will be an artist. This artist will sometimes vote for the player's Pokémon. If the player wins the contest _and_ the artist has voted for their Pokémon, said artist will show them a picture of their Pokémon on a dynamic background. The Pokémon and the background will then be placed in the museum until all five categories are won.

The Contests are also where the remakes really excelled.

For starters, they had three paintings for every category, upping the challenge. However, the remakes also made it easier to compete in contests. In the originals, each Pokémon could only eat 10 Pokeblocks, and that could not be undone. However, in the remakes, Pokémon could eat as many as they wanted. The process of making Pokéblocks was also originally through a minigame. Said minigame could be tedious and took time to perfect. In the remakes, that minigame was gone, and the process was almost automatic. Since Contest moves are a lot different than their battle counterparts, it could be difficult raising a Pokémon for both. However, the remakes solve that problem by making almost every move able to be re-taught. This means that a player could easily switch between Contest and regular battle sets.

Finally, winning Contests gave ample rewards.

The first time a player competes in a Contest, regardless of the outcome, they can receive a Pokémon called Cosplay Pikachu. This Pokémon was unique in that it could not be evolved or traded to other versions. However, it had very high contest stats in all areas, and could change costumes by going to any Contest Hall. Each costume allowed Cosplay Pikachu to have a move it couldn't normally learn, similar to Rotom's forms. Furthermore, having a Pokémon win all five categories of Contests would reward the player with the Mega Stone for Altaria. I believe I used Cosplay Pikachu for this, although I remember Castform doing fairly well at some point…

Another main attraction in Lilycove is that it has the standard huge Pokémon Mart.

But there's something in the way.

And that is a Rival battle.

As usual, it's pretty easy, and all of this Pokémon go down in one hit. This is also the last battle against him. This changes in the remakes, when the Rival fights the player one last time after the main game is cleared. I won't be seeing that battle, though.

Now I can finally head in the store and start selling items. Maybe buy a few things too…

And buy things I do…

The store has significant upgrades for healing items, so I spend a lot of my money on them… On top of that, I also buy another move, Safeguard. I'm not going to use it until later on, but it will be useful in combination with some of my items on the endgame fights. There's a few Trainers who enjoy inflicting status conditions, and this is my way of ruining that strategy… There's upgrades involving repels as well, so I quickly buy those…

It seems I'm ready to head to the next area, and it's a dungeon.

Team Aqua's Hideout, to be exact. In the original games and their remakes, both teams had the same hideout. In this game, they each have different hideouts, and the player must visit each one.

Aqua's involves water and warp panels, so I intend to spend a lot of time frustrated…

Only to get frustrated for a _different_ reason.

It seems I have to visit Magma's hideout first, and their hideout is in the dreaded Jagged Pass… It still takes a while to get there, but eventually I make it.

Magma's hideout is a cave, complete with wild Pokémon. Good thing I brought extra repels…

The grunts in this place are pretty easy, considering Gracie is almost twice the level. They are starting to get into the low 30s, but Gracie is almost level 60… Tabitha appears here, but he is underwhelming.

Now, Maxie awaits, and he wants to awaken the ancient legendary Pokémon Groudon.

Looks like Gracie has to stop him.

Unfortunately, Groudon runs away, and Maxie forces a fight. He still taken down by Thunderbolt and Psychic. Also worth noting that Gracie gets to level 60, trying to learn Dream Eater, but she doesn't.

Of to the next hideout, Aqua's.

After I do some story in Slateport, of course…

For all the backtracking this game has, at least most of it is story relevant…

Also worth noting that as I'm decimating the grunts, I stop at an extra room to get the Master Ball and the Nugget. Both may be useful later.

Anyway, onto the fight one of the other Admins, Matt. Honestly don't have much to say about this guy, other than that he's one of the more relaxed of the Admins. He also seems to have a close relationship with Archie, but how close that relationship actually is up for debate. He appears more in Sapphire, but I believe this is his only fight in Emerald. He's not too tough, easily being taken down by Thunderbolt.

Anyway, the path to Mossdeep is open, so it's time to head across the water.

But not before talking about another person.

That person is one of the people Gracie will not see on this playthrough, Tucker.

Tucker is the leader of the Battle Dome. This place acts like a traditional tournament, with the goal to get to where Tucker is at the top. Tucker himself is known for being passionate about fashion and having a lot of fans. He's also bombastic, commonly waving to the audience. However, he is still aggressive with the player. Unlike most of the other Frontier Brains, he picks only two Pokémon to use against in fights, rather than the traditional three. Not too much to say about him personality wise, other than the fact that he's a bit weird… The protagonist of Usurping and Gracie might think the same, although the former would enjoy all the theatrics.

Anyway, time to continue with the main story at last.

Time to speed across the water to Mossdeep… Thankfully, the journey is pretty short. There's not much to do in the city now, so instead I head to the north.

The Northeast a few optional Trainers and items, but also an area I'm not doing this playthrough. This area is called Shoal Cave.

Shoal Cave is interesting because it goes from high to low tide. What tide it's at depends on the in-game clock. This also affects what Pokémon can be found, what items can be gotten and what places in the cave can be visited, as well as what items can be gotten.

There is also an elderly man in the center of the cave. If the player brings him five Shoal Shells and five Shoal Salts, he can make the player a Shell Bell. While this item is very useful, it requires running through the game multiple times at both high and low tide. Furthermore, if the game does not use its internal clock (either by the battery running out on a cartridge, or the time just not working on emulator), the tide will never change.

So it's not worth going in for this run.

However, I could see someone else entering, but I'm not sure who. Perhaps they get caught offguard by the changing tides…

Anyway, it seems like it's time to challenge the Gym.

Mossdeep is one of the ones that received a complete redesign from its originals. In the original version, it was just a bunch of conveyor belts that the player switched back and forth. In Emerald, there are statues that are in the player's way. The player hits a button to move the statues around. Trainers are also on the same platforms that the statues are on, so the player will be forced to fight them.

Nevertheless, I accept the challenge.

It takes some doing, but I finally reach Tate and Lisa.

May as well talk about the two together, because they function as one entity. The only time they are ever seen apart is an episode in the anime and in optional battles in Unova's Pokémon World Tournament. They are the games' first double bottle boss battle. In the originals, Tate and Lisa are not all that strong. However, in Emerald, they receive a significant increase to their team. Gracie will be facing them with partners, until no partners remain. After that, she will just fight solo.

Personality wise, I like Tate and Lisa, because I like the concept of double battles. Despite being immature and possibly even younger than the player, they are competent battlers. Tate and Lisa are easily able to use strategies and double battles to their advantage. Also interesting is that the originals made them look as though they were both female. In reality, Tate is male and Lisa is female. It got to the point where some unofficial translations confused their gender, and of course, the original version of Traveler did as well. In the anime, it was made clear that Tate was male. In the game remakes the differences in gender were much more obvious.

The two twins seem overly cheerful, but can get serious if the need arises. Despite this, they often show their softer side. For example, that softer side arises when Lisa and May bond over the instinctive need to protect their younger brothers. Tate enjoys playing with Max and some of the other younger members of the cast. The twins show off even more competency in battle during the Pokémon Special manga. They are one of the few that know of Mirage Island, using their psychic powers to transport people back and forth. Furthermore, the twins, along with Juan, teach Ruby and Sapphire how to use the power of the Red and Blue Orbs.

As for how the protagonist of Usurping would react, I feel like it would be interesting, because she starts out with an aversion to younger children. However, I think she would warm up to them. Because they're this is because the twins are cheerful but not overly hyper. They can also sense her latent supernatural power. The twins can probably help the protagonist come to terms with who she is, including all the power she has within her. Furthermore, the twins seem to enjoy any Pokémon, so they would probably adore Tulip. This helps help desensitize the protagonist to revealing her to the public. And the twins probably really enjoy Tulip's later form, because she looks a lot like a spaceship. Canonically, the twins are close to those in the Space Center.

Also, in this version of Traveler, they are too young to lead the gym. So someone else, perhaps a family member or teacher and probably an OC, does the job. However, the person still worries that someone will take advantage of the twins' power. In the remakes after the main game is complete, this actually does happen, but it's very lighthearted. Someone wants to use the twins' psychic power to complete a project, and buys them toys as a motivator. However, the twins are more interested in playing with the toys then completing the project, and the scientist is left wondering what to do.

Whether or not something similar happens within Traveler is up for debate. If something like that does happen, it would probably be much darker, and explore the realistic consequences. This is mainly to fit in with Traveler's theme of deconstructing the entire Pokémon world, and the rules that would have to be in place for it to work. Also, I could see Winona helping to take care of the twins. This is mainly because of her protective tendencies and because I once read a story where she was their mother. It was interesting, because she had tried to hide them from danger, but was unsuccessful. Other than that, not much of their relationship was known.

Anyway, time to fight the twins.

They're pretty easy, mainly because Gracie's Thief does a lot of damage at this point, and is super effective against all their Pokémon. Thunderbolt is also good, because they have Xatu in their party.

It's also worth noting that the twins don't damage Gracie much at all.

Instead, they target her partners.

Linoone gets taken down by Psychic and Solarbeam despite being able to do some damage. A young Tailow flutters to the ground after an opponent's Psychic. I send in Marril, but Gracie is able to take out the opponents before they do any damage. Marril is also about to evolve, so I may have it as Gracie's partner for a while. Linoone can mostly fend for itself, so there's not much more reason to keep in the second slot.

I wonder how I will write this. Gracie clearly uses a decoy of some sort… Or perhaps uses Double Team to confuse them into attacking a fake opponent… Although she's long since forgotten the move… Another thing I could ever do is feint attacks, with the twins aiming their moves at her but doing no damage. Perhaps they think that the relationship Gracie has is interesting and cool, and therefore want to challenge her to a battle to test that relationship. Unlike in the gameplay, she would be alone, so it would take some creative thinking for this to work…

Anyway, I can finally get the move Dive. It can be used to find hidden items, but I won't be using it for that this run. Instead, there is a story area that can only be accessed by using the HM. Furthermore, there are a couple of side quests are available now. I won't be doing them, but I will be pointing them out.

So I will be heading to the south.

What the game wants me to do is go into the middle of the next route, then dive under to chase the teams to the Seafloor Cavern.

But instead I'm going to continue heading south the next city. I can't complete it now, but registering it as a Fly location will make things easier later. It is hard to find, and it becomes difficult to battle when one is supposed to go there otherwise… It's worth noting that I can use Dive to skip battles, but I'm not going to. Every bit of experience counts.

Seems like some Team Magma goons are headed to the space station… Sounds like it's a good choice to follow... Might as well do this before heading to the south…

Looks like they've taken over the place, and Gracie needs to stop them. It's worth noting that while this is an Emerald exclusive story dungeon, it was available during the remakes. However, it only happened once the main game was cleared, and there weren't as many battles fought…

Anyway, I continue making my way to the end of the dungeon.

Steven is there and I need to team up with him. Unlike with Lance, I have to choose three Pokémon before I fight. Gracie is chosen, of course, with Linoone and Marill serving as her partners…

Hilariously, Gracie is about 20 levels above Steven's Pokémon, despite him the stronger trainer… Perhaps he just did not bring his best… Also worth noting that the two Camelrupt here try to use Amnesia to ward off Gracie's attacks, but she's so high leveled that she tears them apart anyway…

Proves how much stronger she has gotten…

After that, finally time to head to the south…

I try to get some experience for Gracie's partners, but two of them fall… It's also worth noting because of the high speed, it can be difficult to know where I'm going, and I wind up aimlessly wandering around the routes. However, I eventually make it the area above Sootopolis, and head down and the city.

Sootopolis can easily be considered one of the toughest Pokémon cities to find. It's only accessible by using Dive, and only in a very specific location around a series of white rocks… In fact, it's not uncommon for players get lost, and it's hard to find even with a guide… One of the swimmers here actually comments on not knowing where the city is, despite swimming _right above it._ Thankfully, I remember the exact location, and make a stop there…

But there's also another area I want to find, and it's near the east.

It's the routes to the Pokémon League, but I cannot go to the latter now. While I defeat the Trainers there, I have yet another destination in mind.

It's the area to the south of Sootopolis.

In the originals and their remakes, this area is completely optional. In Emerald, this area is necessary for a plot point that will come up later. I'm exploring now to make things easier, since I can simply fly from the town when that plot point comes up.

The Trainers defeat some of Gracie's partners, but are no match for her. I do run into some Power Point problems but make it to Pacifidlog. Apparently, this town is built on floating coral, but no one seems to be concerned what happens if the coral dies or simply floats away… Therefore, I never quite understood the town… Also, several fan fictions show what happens when the coral disappears, and it's not pretty… I wonder what Gracie would think of the town… She might find it odd, but quaint... Anyway, there's not much to do here, and the town doesn't even have a Mart. There's a man who will give out either Return or Frustration, but I don't need either one.

So I just continue.

The next routes are full of strong currents. The currents will force player into one direction until they stop. They will have no choice but to battle and grab any items along the way without changing their course. Since there are three starting points, I would normally traverse the route three times. However, for the sake of speed, I am not going to do that.

I imagine Gracie getting very motion sick around the currents… Maybe someone in the nearby town gives her a lift… I imagine the inhabitants would be used to it… Of course, this won't be my only encounter with currents, but I might save that for my next update.

The currents take me to a few useful Trainers and items, but ultimately lead Gracie back to Slateport City. While I'm there, Gracie picks up the Effort Ribbon. The Effort Ribbon can only be gotten if a Pokémon has maxed out its Effort Points.

Effort Points are invisible numbers earned every time a Pokémon defeats another. They often are based on the defeated Pokémon's highest stats (for example, defeating a fast Pokémon will earn the winner a few points in speed). After four of these points are earned, a Pokémon's corresponding stat will rise by one point. This continues until the Pokémon has 510 effort values, with a maximum of 255 in any stat.

In the original games, Effort Points are calculated whenever a Pokémon goes up a level, but by the time of the remakes, they are calculated every time a Pokémon wins a battle. This ribbon was important because it was one of the few ways to track Effort Points other than outside software at the time of originals games' release.

I'm not sure how Gracie would feel about the ribbon. Perhaps she just thinks it looks pretty… Maybe someone like Professor Pine or Phoebe explains what it really is, and congratulates her getting it. Regardless, I decide the end the update here as I fly back to Mossdeep. I'm almost out of repels, and I need to stock up before I begin the last leg of the game.


	29. Music of the Waves

**Welcome to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **29: Music of the Waves**

 **Day 28 (March 25, 2018): Hoenn**

All right, time to finish up Gracie's adventure in Hoenn and head on to the next one!

First things first, stock up on repels. Second things second, dive where I was previously.

The seafloor cavern isn't too difficult to find. It is a short dive away from the route south of Mossdeep.

It is, however, one of the most annoying places in the game. It has puzzles galore, requiring a variety of HMs to get through. It also has water currents that drag the player every which way. Honestly, I think the only place that has more puzzles and HMs required is the final dungeon…

But I must go in.

Since this is a cave, wild Pokémon can appear, so I have to use repels to avoid being attacked. I also have to be prepared because there are a lot of Trainers and no places to heal.

Also, going the wrong direction could force the player back to start… And that happens to me… Thankfully I save before that, but cue a lot of frustrated resetting… I also slow the game down, so I don't accidentally go too fast and Surf in the wrong direction…

Also, another battle against Shelly but it's a double battle. Gracie's partner Marril evolves. This is excellent considering its evolution is one of my favorite Pokémon. Perhaps I can get Shroomish or Tailow to evolve before the run ends…

Anyway, it isn't long before I get through all the puzzles and make it to the final area. And of course, these speed up function goes back on immediately.

Archie is pretty easy, with all of his Pokémon falling to Thunderbolt.

I guess I may as well talk about him, although there isn't really much to say. He is the more laid back of the two team leaders, but suffers from a lot of the same problems Maxie does. Archie is also a bit of a jokester, calling the player a little scamp. For whatever reason, other Pokémon media made him the more ruthless of the two leaders.

In the anime, he is the one that actually succeeds in controlling Kyorge and doing massive damage. However, the protagonists are able to unwittingly get Groudon on their side, so it's an even fight. In the Pokémon Special manga, he is shown to be willing to do anything for his goals, to the point of killing Maxie and a few others. Also, unlike Courtney, none of his team members betray him or otherwise have any intention of helping the protagonists.

So now, something catastrophic has happened during the game. The legendary Pokémon have unleashed their powers around Hoenn. This triggers some special music, depending on which Pokémon is unleashing their powers. Also depending on which Pokémon is using their powers, the gameplay will change. If Groudon's powers are in effect, sunlight will always be on the battlefield. If it's Kyorge, it will always be raining. It can be difficult to battle in such conditions, which is why I did all the battles beforehand. Furthermore, the game wants the player to go to Sootopolis, but it's much easier just to fly there after heading there ahead of time.

Finally, I may as well talk about the music. The music that plays during the outbreak of the legendary Pokémon is some of the best in the game. However, I have mixed feelings about the remakes' portrayal.

Groudon's piece is called Drought, and the remakes made it extremely creepy. It perfectly showcases what something like that would realistically do to the world… Kyogre's piece is called Flood, and it creates a sense of urgency not shown in the other piece. However, it is fast during Sapphire and slower in Emerald. Unfortunately, the remakes opted to use the slower version originally used Emerald, so it loses a lot of the urgency.

Also, there is a bit of lore, and it is fairly important. Around this point, the protagonist of Usurping is chasing after Archie. Her grudge is causing her to be reckless. She is to defeat him without thinking of any consequences to herself or others. However, she nearly drowns in the flood. She's already used her Silver Wing, so it cannot save her. Miranda and Steven try to stop the protagonist, but it seems to be too late.

Gracie, however is closer, using the power of her own Silver Wing to brave the floods and rescue Usurping's protagonist. She notices that her Silver Wing was glowing, but that it no longer is. Gracie finds out this is because the power was used. Gracie also realizes the half drowned woman she rescued appears to fit the description of the person in the house in Kanto. She also fits this description well as the person she saw in the picture with Morty. Gracie sees what appears to be a Rainbow Wing in the person's possessions. However, she only gets a brief glimpse before the protagonist is taken away for treatment. The others are too busy treating her for Gracie to ask questions.

However, Gracie wonders if this person who tried to sacrifice herself to save countless others it is in fact the Mold Breaker. She shakes her head, thinking it can't be. The entire sequence of events becomes very important later, when Gracie helps out the Mold Breaker against the main antagonist.

But that is _much_ later.

For now, I need to fly to Sootoplis.

Once I get there, there is a cool cut scene of the two legendary Pokémon fighting. Everyone is watching in the city is watching. Unfortunately, no one seems to know who to root for, or what to do.

Luckily, Gracie can fix that.

On one of the ledges in the upper left, Steven is waiting. He states that he needs to take me to see Wallace. Wallace is in the Cave of Origin.

I always liked the idea of the Cave of Origin. There is a place where everything begins, and a place where everything ends, and it's all in the same region. It's not explained how everything begins in the Cave of Origin, just that does begin there. Not to mention that the beginning and ending juxtaposition doesn't exist in the other regions, aside from an optional event in Sinnoh… But I will get to that event later.

The Cave of Origin is a bit underwhelming. It's a short dungeon, where I only need to talk to Wallace. He is waiting at the end. In Ruby and Sapphire and their remakes, the dungeon is a lot more intimidating.

The cave is constantly plagued by earthquakes that get stronger the further the player goes in. At the end, they find the corresponding legendary Pokémon, and battle it. To make things even more intense, Steven and Wallace both explain how both important and dangerous it is for the player to enter the cave. They also make clear that the player is the only one who can do it. They have the item for stopping the legendary Pokémon, and the other two people must remain behind to protect citizens. Both Steven and Wallace wish the player luck before they go in. So really does feel like the player is risking their lives to make sure everyone in the region is safe.

The remakes also up the drama. In the remakes, Groudon and Kyogre have something called a Primal Reversion. This is an ancient form that can only be triggered by their respective Orb. Once they battle the player, they go into that form. The form gives two better stats, an exclusive ability, and an almost otherworldly design. Furthermore, the battle is no longer fought in the main part of the Cave of Origin. Instead, the legendary Pokémon takes the player into a secret part of the Cave of Origin. It part so deep that machines malfunction, and no one else can communicate with them. It really gives an eerie feeling that one is alone…

But there are still things to do.

After all that, the player does battle with the legendary in its new form. This is complete with an intense remakes of the original fight music, which really hammers and the feeling that the legendary is _incredibly powerful and something to be feared._ After that, the player emerges from the cave, there's a sweet sequence of everyone meeting them and making up with each other (in the case of the evil teams). One that ends, the people go their separate ways, and the final part of the game begins. I have to say that out of all the things the remake did, that was my favorite. It did a great job conveying the atmosphere of what was going on, from the terrifying than lonely battle, to the reassurance that things would be at peace, and a new Champion would eventually rise to make sure nothing like that ever happened again… It did a lot better at conveying those emotions than any of the originals did…

Unfortunately, none of that is here now, so it's nowhere near as dramatic or intense.

Instead, Wallace is met at the center of the last room of the Cave of Origin, and the player talks to him. He tells them about a third Pokémon, Rayquaza, that may be able to stop the other two. He asked the player if they know where it is, and the correct answer is to Sky Pillar. This is one thing that I found very odd. It's odd because the player should have no knowledge of the place and how it is linked to Rayquaza. And since Wallace knows something about it, he should know where it is. The player _does_ get a call from their rival explaining they saw a Pokémon flying in the sky, but it's nothing more than a vague hint…

Anyway, I give the correct answer, and it's off to Sky Pillar.

Sky Pillar is right near Pacifidlog, and the fact that I was there before makes travel easy.

So I make it to the place, Wallace lets me in, and I have to head to the top.

But first, let me rant about the Sky Pillar. Sky Pillar, in its entirety, is one of the most difficult dungeons in the game. The first time through, it's a straightforward dungeon with powerful Pokémon. The player simply has to walk through it in order to find Rayqauza at the top. Second time through, it's nowhere near as simple. The dungeon is full of crumbling floors, and unless the player is a master with the Mach Bike, there's no way they're getting past… Not to mention Rayquaza is much higher level than almost anything else in the game at this point, and not afraid to unleash powerful attacks…

Which is why the remakes changed all this for the better. Instead of Wallace randomly unlocking the Sky Pillar, he explains that those with the bloodline of Sootopolis's ancient people are charged with protecting it. Wallace goes on to mention that there is a seal preventing the Sky Pillar from being accessed by normal people. However, if the player is strong enough to beat him, he will unlock the seal. Wallace reveals that those with the lineage of the Draconids can also break the seal. And unfortunately, Zinnia possesses that bloodline. Therefore, she has already broken the seal, and has headed in to obtain the power of Rayquaza for herself.

Upon entering, the Sky Pillar is no longer crumbling floors, but instead, a series of ladders. The player simply climbs up the ladders, listening to Zinnia tell the story of how Sky Pillar came to be. And as before, Rayquaza waits at the end, although the player must battle Zinnia after catching it.

It's also worth noting that Sky Pillar has a massive music change. In the originals, it had fairly standard dungeon music. In the remakes, it has its own theme. This theme also plays when Rayquaza comes down to calm the rampaging Pokémon in the original games. However, it only plays only about a minute or so. I have to say the new theme is awesome. The remakes did an excellent job with the Sky Pillar and trying to make the plot make at least a little bit of sense.

Enough about that. Time to ascend.

The climb is a very easy, and I'm treated to a cut scene where Rayquaza calms the two raging Pokémon… I have a slight problem with that though.

For one, there's _no reason_ that Raquaza should listen to the player… In fact, nothing's stopping it from _ignoring_ the player and making things worse… One could argue that it has an instinctive need to stop the other two legendary Pokémon when their powers get out of hand. But if that were the case, why didn't it stop the catastrophe as soon as it occurred?

The other gripe has to do with game mechanics… Rayquaza has the ability to halt weather conditions... However, this ability does nothing if Pokémon are _actually attacking it…_ So it won't stop the other two from attacking; it would just stop them from causing severe weather… It's particularly bad in the case of Kyogre, since it has a move that can most likely destroy Rayquaza in one shot…

In any case, Rayquaza does its thing, and the world returns to normal.

There's a few items to get around Sootopolis, but instead, I decide to head straight to the Gym.

The last Gym is one of the more annoying ones.

In order to get the Leader, one must walk across layers of ice. Walking across each tile once makes stairs appear. However, walking across even one tile _twice_ causes the player to fall. And then they will be forced to do battle with the many Trainers in the Gym… This, along with the Ice Path, is where I got the protagonist of Usurping's fear of ice from. I'd like to think that there is something that somehow prevents the player from being hurt after falling, but it still doesn't change the fact that it falling would be terrifying… Perhaps, the protagonist just tries to float above the puzzle… Or she has Tulip do it for her, with her eyes closed so that she doesn't have to look…

I'm not sure what Gracie would do, or how she would go through this puzzle… Perhaps she would remember her skating skills in Johto…

The trainers are pretty easy, as I take almost all them down with Shock Wave… I don't even try to heal before I get to the Leader… However, I do slow the game down so I don't go rushing right into a mistake…

So the last Leader is Juan.

Juan is a bit of an oddball because there's no mention of him before this game. Furthermore, as I explained before, he's not even seen in the remakes. The anime makes him a Gym Leader, bringing moves from his Contests over to his Gym Battles. He and Wallace still share a lot of similarities, though.

It's worth noting in the anime, Wallace is a Contest champion, and spends a lot of his time helping Trainers with that. So Juan taking over the gym makes more sense. However, the remakes throw another oddball. In those games, Wallace is a powerful Contest champion, takes care of the Gym, and is one of the regions prime defender's. _How_ he does all this is unknown, because Juan is nowhere to be seen. In the manga, Juan has a bit of a larger presence he is a competent Trainer and teaches people how to use the power of the Orbs. Juan also resides on Mirage Island, training himself and others there.

So despite the way his character was handled, I still have to fight him.

Luckily, he's not much of a challenge.

The worst is his Kingdra surviving Thunderbolt and trying to up evasiveness. However, Shock Wave takes care of that.

Before I head off to the League, it's time to do the Trick House one last time.

There's some rotating doors, teleporters, and moving statues I have to deal with. I have to slow the game down in order to not make a mistake. Other than that, nothing too problematic.

Also, I may as well talk about the quests that are open to me now.

One is something that was mentioned before called Mirage Island. Mirage Island is a very rare place that appears near Pacifidlog. It hardly ever appears, and when it does, it has the best Contest berries in the games. The island is also the only place where Wynaut can be found in the wild, but one can easily hatch one.

The remakes changed Mirage Island entirely.

Instead, there areas called Mirage Spots. They can only be accessed by riding on the back of the game's Legendary Bird. These spots are random most of the time, containing rare items and Pokémon. Sometimes, they will even contain legendary Pokémon from other regions provided certain conditions are met. Even though I'm not a fan of riding around constantly to get to the areas, the rest of the not mechanic is a welcome change. It makes the content a lot more accessible, and worth accessing to boot. The only thing is that the requirements for accessing the special legendary Pokémon can be tricky, and often require using other games. But it's not impossible to figure out by any means, simply by constantly switching out the player's party.

Another small quest I can do is find some Trainers in Meteor Falls, and capture a Pokémon that can be found nowhere else. I am also required to do this quest if I want to fight Steven after the main game is cleared. I most likely won't, though, so I'm skipping it. For the record, Gracie is currently level 70, and Steven's Pokémon about five levels above her. So she doesn't need the experience anyway.

The third is for something called the legendary Golems. They are three Pokémon called Regice, Regirock, and Registeel. The player must solve many puzzles to get to them, but there is something unique about these puzzles. Aside from being incredibly specific, the clues are written in _braille._

Unfortunately, the game doesn't give the player any hints on how to solve them.

For a while, official guides didn't either... There was a braille chart in the back of some guides, but the player was forced to decode the puzzles on their own… Later on, an issue of Nintendo Power gave the answers to the codes. However, they were written in very small print at the bottom of a page, upside down… Maybe it was to avoid spoilers for those that still wanted to figure them out on their own…

So, in order to get these three Pokémon, one had to bring a Relicanth in the first slot and a Wailord in the last. Then, they had to dive to some sealed ruins in the middle of nowhere underwater… After that, three places would open, and the player had to find the three places…

But each of the three places had a code of their own… One of them involved walking a certain amount of steps, another involved using Fly in the middle of a cave (something that would normally be impossible), and the final one involve waiting three real life minutes without doing anything... Again, the game doesn't tell you any of this, so it's almost impossible to figure out without a guide… And when the player finally gets to the three Golems, there are far better options… At least the music is some of the best in the game, and was left almost intact in the remakes…

However, things get even more complicated. In the next game in the series, one must bring the three Golems to a special location… Doing so awakens a fourth one, but only after the main game has been cleared… The only real way to do this is by transferring them over from Hoenn, and once again, the game gives the player almost no hints… The developers must've gotten a lot of flak for creating such a complicated puzzle, because I don't remember them doing anything like it ever again (well, other than the Hoenn remakes, of course)…

As long as I'm here, I may as well talk about the other two people Gracie is unlikely to encounter.

One of them is Lucy. Lucy is the Queen of the Battle Pike, although it's more of a title people give her and less of an indicator of royalty. However, she has several maids that serve her. Lucy's battle agency tests luck, with a random thing happening to the player's party every time they enter a room. After they have entered enough rooms, Lucy will appear to challenge them.

Lucy is also bit different from the other Battle Frontier Leaders. She doesn't talk much and is a little arrogant. However, the anime and some of the mangas show her as having a softer side. Lucy is not afraid to help those that are in trouble. She also becomes angry if someone commits a crime, such as when Team Rocket tries to steal Pokémon in front of her. Lucy does have a bit of a flirtatious side, although she only shows it to one person, and only in the anime.

I like Lucy a lot, because her area was fun and one of the few ones I actually beat. It's also because of the fact that Lucy was actually intimidating and had the looks to match. While the games don't go far beyond her intimidating persona, other media delve deeper into her character. Some of the mangas show her as being close to Anabel, a trait that is kept in Traveler. Lucy is also impressed by worthy opponents, and that is shown in all media.

Unsurprisingly, Lucy plays a large role in Traveler.

In the Traveler series, Lucy is close to the protagonist of Usurping. At first, Lucy puts on her intimidating persona, only to have the protagonist be just as intimidating. Lucy is surprised, particularly when the protagonist loses a close match.

However, she finds Usurping's protagonist under stress when Wally first gets sick, and wondering what to do when the laws are against her. Lucy realizes that the protagonist is unable to win because of her confidence issues. She also recognizes the dangers of the protagonist's perfectionism, and the fact that she is simply so aggressive because she cannot stop. Lucy resolves to travel with Usurping's protagonist to keep an eye on her. She also wants to see if she can try to help the protagonist with her problems.

While the protagonist still has her issues, she comes to trust Lucy. This trust is enough to let her join the group in Usurping. Furthermore, Lucy is still friends with Anabel, and as such, understands the protagonist's panic attacks. Lucy is able to calm the protagonist down when she has one in front of her, and is one of the people who encourages her to get treatment.

Lucy also plays a role in Holly Rising's timeline, although it's a bit different.

She doesn't know the protagonist there. Due to circumstances in the story changing, they become antagonistic towards each other. Lucy is also a lot less friendly here, but this is due to having to survive in Anabel's bleak world for a long time. Eventually, she agrees to come along with the group to search for Kris and Holly. Lucy reasons that this is still her homeland, and she can keep it safe. Unfortunately, Anabel's world ends up in ruins. Lucy volunteers to head to the world where the first book takes place, simply because there isn't anything left in her own. Lucy is planned to also have a role in Holly Rising's third book, but it is currently unknown what that role is.

And last but not least, Anabel.

Annabel is the leader of the Battle Tower. She is one of the most interesting characters, because of the many different interpretations. Anabel likes to get right to battling, and can have attitude stricter than even Lucy's. In the anime, she is shown to be a little bit kinder, and possibly has a crush on Ash. Anabel has a highly developed sense of empathy, allowing her to command her Pokémon through thought. It also allows her to understand the thoughts and pain of others. She tries to teach this ability to the group, but to no avail. She spends most of the Pokémon Special manga brainwashed, but is still a powerful battler. Furthermore, some of the other mangas show that she is good at photography, taking pictures of the protagonist's journey throughout the Frontier.

She appears again in the Alola games, around a decade later. She has lost her memories by going through an Ultra Wormhole, but still has fragments of them. Anabel has become a powerful police officer, and one of the highest-ranking ones. She is the head of a group dedicated to helping out with the Ultra Beasts, hoping that the people can either find a safe place for the creatures or destroy them. Unknown to her, she has energy that attracts the Beasts and is being used to lure them out.

Since Anabel uses Psychic Type Pokémon in the anime, she is often depicted as having psychic powers in fan works. In Holly Rising's timeline, she does not have anything other than her advanced powers of empathy. In Usurping, she has psychic powers, and possibly powers of aura as well. This is to make a couple scenes make more sense, and to have her help out the main protagonist's powers. She knows Lucy in both timelines, and the two are good friends.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to talk about Anabel without spoiling the entire series (including most of the companion stories). I will say there is a _very_ good reason for that, and one of the reasons was because I wanted to see her developed more. Another reason was a what-if scenario that never happened in one of the games. Yet another reason was combining all the interpretations of her character (mainly in Usurping). Therefore, I am unsure if I will talk about her role in Traveler in this story. There is another character that spoils most of the series, and that character may be explained in detail. If I do choose to talk about the character, I may talk about Anabel as well. But I will see what happens later.

Anyway, that's all the extra characters in Hoenn. Time to finish up gameplay!

My next area of businesses is Victory Road, after stocking back up on Repels.

So after using Waterfall, I can finally go to a small town called Ever Grande. It's the last stop before Victory Road (well, at least the first part of the town is).

And then I must face Wally. Luckily, I am 30 levels higher than him, so he's an easy victory. It's worth noting in the originals and the remakes, he will challenge the player at the end. In Emerald, he will challenge the player in the beginning. He can be rematched in all games. The ranks also gave him his own theme, inside and outside of battle. The battle theme was a rock remix of the normal one. I can't say I'm fond of either, but it's a nice little touch.

Anyway, onward.

Hoenn's victory Road is notorious for using a lot of HMs… In fact, every HM must be used here other than Fly and Dive… Thankfully, I have them all, but if I were playing with a regular team, it would be annoying.

Also worth noting that the Pokémon here are mildly competent. A lot of them can do damage to Gracie, and a Tropius with Body Slam paralyzes her… Thankfully, she is able to heal… I also have to slow the game down in some parts, because there are puzzles with Strength and Rock Smash… Trying to do them at maximum speed causes me to mess up…

There's also an interesting Trainer here, Vito. He is the last of the Winistrates, and by far the strongest. He never reveals he is related to them, though, and his battle is optional. The anime makes the relationship much more direct, although he still never tells his family where he's gotten to… Anyway, with the level I am at, he's not much stronger than they are, so Vito goes down quickly.

The rest of Victory Road is fairly uneventful, although there is a double battle that knocks out a few of Gracie's partners and nearly runs her out of Power Points…

Nevertheless, I make it through.

I have most of the items I want for now. However, I'm going to grab a few Full Restores, just in case. As usual, I put all my partners a box.

And after healing, I am off to challenge the Elite Four.

The first of the lineup is Sidney. He's one of my favorites, because he's laid-back and liked to joke around. However, he isn't afraid of fighting dirty. Sidney will not hesitate to use both powerful and accuracy lowering moves on the player. In fact, he's the main reason why I'm carrying Shock Wave… The move is pretty useless after this… On the flip side, all of Sidney's Pokémon have low defense stats, so they can easily be taken out in one powerful attack.

It's also worth noting that this is the first generation where the Elite Four got unique musical themes… Many of those themes were excellent, and this one is no exception. It was one of the few that I actually liked in the remakes… Worth noting that Victory Road's theme is excellent as well, to the point where it got its own stage in the popular Super Smash Brothers series…

Anyway, on to the match.

At first, the match seems to be going well.

But then his Shiftry comes in… It knows Double Team, so I resort to Shock Wave.

And then it uses Torment.

That prevents me from using the same moves twice in a row.

Cue many moves missing and turns wasted… It also tries to attack with Swagger and Extrasensory, but those moves can be healed easily.

His Cacturne comes in, surviving a Thunderbolt. It proceeds to use Cotton Spore, which lowers my speed.

And then there's his Absol.

It survives a Thunderbolt, firing back with Swords Dance. After that, its next attack is Rock Slide, and Gracie is too slow to launch a preemptive attack. She flinches, becoming weakened and unable to strike back.

I think this may be the end. However, Absol misses its second hit, allowing me to destroy it with Thunderbolt.

Quite a challenge, as Gracie walks out with 87 of 200 HP remaining…

But that's far from the only one…

My next opponent is Phoebe, who also has moves Gracie's weak to... And her strategy is much more diabolical than Sidney's…

So much so that I have to change mine.

I quickly teach Gracie Safeguard over Shock Wave, and give her all my Power Point increasing items…

I will need them.

This is because Phoebe's strategy is to strike with status moves, and use her Pokémons' abilities to lower the opponents' power points… So Safeguard can ruin her day, but only items can help with the Power Points.

As for Phoebe herself, I've already talked a lot about her. Unlike most Ghost users, Phoebe is down to earth and rather cheerful. In fact, in the remakes, she dances into the battle. This is despite coming into the battle with an evil laugh. But it _might_ be more of a taunting laugh, considering the remakes depict her as cheerful when she does it… Furthermore, it's implied Phoebe's close to her family. She can be seen conversing with them (or at least, with someone she knows) in an optional conversation in the remakes… Both the remakes and the original also have her wonder about her grandmother… Many fans believe she is native to Alola, but the games neither confirm nor deny this.

In Usurping's timeline, she plays a large role in helping the protagonist with latent powers. I am unsure if she will appear in Holly Rising's timeline at all, since the main user of magical powers there is Molly Hale…

Anyway, on the fight.

My original strategy was to use Safeguard, and take Phoebe down with Thief.

Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.

Thief doesn't do a lot of damage, but Phoebe does.

One Shadow Punch from her first Pokémon weakens Gracie.

A Shadow Ball from one of her Banette brings Gracie down to the red… I quickly heal, only to get weakened by another attack… Another will surely spell doom for Gracie… I attack and defeat the opponent with Thief.

Unfortunately, now I realize that the only way to win is to go on a full offense and _hope_ I don't die… Luckily, things fall quickly to Psychic. The exception is Sableye, who falls to Thunderbolt… It might've been a good idea to increase my defenses, but by that time, safeguard would've worn off, leaving Phoebe wide open to inflict status problems…

Nevertheless, the fight is over, so the rest of them should not be as hard…

Third opponent is Glacia. She uses Ice Type Pokémon, but they're still not a lot of them, so most of them are also Water Type. Of course, this works to my advantage.

As far as her character, Glacia is seen as a proper lady and not much else… However, I do imagine her caring for others despite her upbringing… Glacia does enjoy hot areas, despite being an Ice Type user, so a common theory is that she is from Sinnoh.

Another fan theory is that she married Flannery's father, but the game neither confirms nor denies this. It also does not mention whether she has a relationship to Flannery. Nevertheless, I decided to use this theory, and also made Candice's Flannery sister just because I thought their opposite personalities would be funny together. Candice also relates to Glacia because she is a young Ice Type user.

As for Glacia's personality as a mother, I imagine her as someone that has a lot of money and prestige, so her children grow up a little naïve. Unfortunately, that gets them into trouble, and that is seen in both timelines. Whether or not the protagonist does anything about it depends on the timeline (she doesn't do anything in Holly Rising, but does in Usurping). Glacia might give a word of warning to Gracie, but I am not sure.

Glacia's strategy is to use Hail to do damage and then to heal early. She also likes using Sheer Cold, a move that destroys an opponent in one hit. However, it does not work if the opponent is Ice Type, or a higher level than the Pokémon using it. It also has only a 30% chance of hitting (to put that in perspective, the next lowest accuracy is 50%). Since I am a higher level than Glacia, Sheer Cold should not be a problem.

And it doesn't turn out to be, as each of her Pokémon is destroyed in one hit.

Last of the Elite Four is Drake.

Once again, I like this guy because he is yet another Dragon user… He's also implied to be older than the others, although it's never confirmed. Drake is friends with Mr. Briney, but they are never seen together outside of the remakes. Also worth noting that he's a ship captain. For some reason, I missed that detail my first time through… The anime shows him on a ship, though, so I certainly didn't miss it then…

Time to head into battle.

All of his Pokémon, other than Salamence, go down in one hit. Salamence gets an attack in, and gets a chance to heal. However, it is defeated by two Thunderbolts.

And last but not least the Champion.

Which is Wallace.

Pardon me as I rant about how much I hate this change.

First of all, there's no foreshadowing. It's meant to be a shock, but now that Emerald's been out for a while, the shock has long since worn off. Not to mention that there is still a Water gym Leader, and a Trainer whose team is dominated by Water types in this very League. So there was no need to have _another_ person that used Water types… Not to mention Wallace's team is weaker than Steven's, mainly because they all share Types…

The Pokémon Special manga tries to give an explanation by saying that Wallace actually won the Championship, while Steven was the runner up. The latter forfeited his Championship because he was afraid he would die in the final battle. Wallace is shocked but accepts it. It's worth noting that Wallace only became a Gym Leader to be close to Winona, but the relationship doesn't work out anyway… And since this manga came out after Emerald, it feels rather hollow… The scene was very well written, though, and Wallace is shown to be well worthy of the title…

In the anime, he is a Contest champion, serving as a judge and a mentor. I don't believe he is ever fought, however, and Steven remains the region Champion. In the remakes, Steven is the Champion, but Wallace can be fought with his Championship team after the main game is cleared. He will also occasionally challenge the player to Contest matches. In the Pokémon Special manga, Wallace serves as a mentor to the main male protagonist, Ruby. He also anonymously challenges him a Contest match, and Ruby ends up losing. However, the only reason Wallace does this is to call Ruby for his behavior, since Ruby has been having problems with it for a while.

As for Wallace's personality, I'm neutral on him. He's all about elegance and grace, but I never could relate to either. So the protagonist probably can't relate to him either… The manga gives him a bit more personality. It explains that he cares deeply for his apprentice, Ruby, and his lover, Winona. He is normally calm, and excellent at nonviolently defusing situations. Unfortunately, he can be quite nasty when he gets angry, or otherwise is forced to fight. I'm not sure if I will use this personality in Traveler.

What is known is that Wallace sees that the protagonist is very strong in Contests, and witnesses her using Tulip in one. He becomes suspicious, noting that a Pokémon acting completely by itself is odd. Wallace challenges her, and I'm not sure of the outcome. Either she uses all of Tulip's power, or forfeits the match by refusing to fight. The former scenario may be in Usurping, and the latter may be in Holly Rising.

However, either way, he finds out what she is, including suspecting something _else_ about her exclusive to Holly Rising (which will be explained later in one of the stories). I am not sure if Wallace will do a thing about it though. He does acknowledge the protagonist has good reason to keep her status hidden, and that what she's doing, while risky, is still legal in battle.

Anyway, finally on to fight him.

He does give me some trouble, though.

I forgot his Ludicolo has Double Team. And since I don't have Shock Wave, my attacks keep missing… Meanwhile, he attacks me with Surf. Eventually, I take him down with Psychic.

But there's another problem.

Wishcash.

Wishcash takes a Psychic, and uses Amnesia. Amnesia is a problem, because it increases defense against special attacks, and all of Gracie's attacks are special… Before long, I'm out of Power Points for Psychic, and I'm forced to use Thief. This doesn't do enough damage, allowing Wishcash to fire back with Hyper Beam. The damage throws Gracie to about 80 HP, out of 211. I defeat Wishcash with Thief, and then I decide to take my chances.

Luckily, the rest of his team falls to Thunderbolt.

And to show off Gracie's final stats.

She was level 75, with a Quick Claw. Her moveset was Thief, Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Safeguard.

And I'm left to head to the Hall of Fame, and to ponder on this game.

Put simply, there's a reason I played this game over the remakes. I consider it the true representation of Hoenn. The remakes had their good parts, such as the contests, the Dexnav, eliminating some of the backtracking, Elite Four rematches, the legendary Pokémon fights, and the postgame arc.

However, the rest of it felt very rushed, with no Battle Frontier and a lot of areas were toned down. Unfortunately, I am not sure why that is, but since the 3DS was having trouble running the Pokémon games, I'm guessing this was done to make things easier. In the case of the Battle Frontier, hardly anyone used it in the original. Only the most competitive players utilized it, and I'm not sure how large the fanbase was. And even in the time of the originals, there were other sources of competitive battling (such as tournaments in the GameCube spinoff games). Furthermore, by the time the remakes came around, the main method of competitive battling was online multiplayer. So the developers probably thought that people would gravitate towards that instead of the Frontier…

So unfortunately, almost everything the remakes did, this game did better. It does have its issues, such as the Champion fight, the backtracking, heavy HM use, a lot of water, and some ridiculous other quests (such as Lavaridge).

But it is still fairly well loved game, and with good reason. This is where the difficulty in Pokémon started to ramp up, and that can be seen with how many close fights I had. This is also where Pokémon started developing its characters, and this development would only get better as time went on. Some of the additions in Emerald were also excellent, like the Battle Frontier, and a lot of the boss battle Pokémon teams.

Overall, even though I didn't like this game when it first came out, it grew on me. Now, I don't mind it as much. It seems to be the same thing for the fan base in general, as there are many arguments whether this game or the remakes are the true representatives of Hoenn. But even though I enjoy this game, it's not my favorite.

No, my favorite is coming up, and even _that_ may have some competition…

But this will be saved for the next step in Grace's journey.


	30. Cast of Memories

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! It's been a long time, around a year and a half, but the story is finally making a return!**

 **The reason for this story's absence has to do with me completing other stories in the same series, most notably the very first one, Holly Rising. It and the other completed stories can be seen and read on my story list, for anyone interested. The decision to complete Holly Rising and some other associated stories first was made in the middle of this arc. As a result, the first few chapters of this arc are written before the real-life time skip, and the rest of it is written after it. There are quite a few changes between these chapters, as a result, but these changes will be explained later on in the arc, as well as the chapters of future ones. The stories completed in between also illustrate some of the changes, for anyone that's interested.**

 **Regardless, here's to Diary's grand resurgence, and the continuation of Gracie's journey!**

* * *

 **30: Cast of Memories**

 **Day 29 (April 2, 2018): Sinnoh**

So this is it. I'm finally at the halfway point of the challenge.

And I'm finally one of my favorite games in the series, and perhaps one of my favorite games of all time.

Pokémon Platinum.

It's supposed to be one of the most difficult of the games, if not _the_ most difficult.

But I am prepared.

Gracie's journey, and this series _will_ continue no matter what.

Besides, the challenge is part of the fun. I suppose it's one of the reasons why I love this game so much.

But there are many others.

And I guess I will explain them as I go.

So it's time to dive right in.

As usual, the speedup button is on unless otherwise indicated, and the text is set the fastest speed. Since Sinnoh doesn't have as much backtracking, I have a feeling this game will be over quickly, but I see.

Anyway, time to begin.

And already, I'm introduced to two new characters.

One is Barry, the main rival. He is rather hyper, and constantly forgetful. A lot of works give him ADHD, and it's implied he has it. However, Barry is shown to be fairly competent in battle, having some of the highest level Pokémon in the series if he is fought a certain amount of times after the main game is completed. He also is a bit of a jokester, but that doesn't mean he can't take a situation seriously if it calls for it. Barry is also shown to be extremely honest and willing to protect others, with him doing that right in the beginning of the game (in an event that will come up shortly, actually). Barry idolizes Wake, a character that will be shown later, but Wake says Barry doesn't need his help. He is also reckless, but recognize his mistakes fairly quickly. Barry is actually the son of the famous Tower Tycoon Palmer, but I don't remember if he mentions that in game at all. Regardless, it doesn't go to his head.

A lot of people are annoyed by Barry, but I personally don't care for him. His personality in the manga and anime is largely the same. About the only difference is in Pokémon Special he is close to the main male protagonist, when he may or may not be in the games and the two never meet in the anime. The two are fond of doing comedy routines together, and almost everyone laughs. I may keep this part of his personality for Traveler, because I found it very funny and enjoyed a lighthearted protagonist in what is otherwise a fairly dark series. The protagonist of Usurping might be annoyed, but also confused. At the time she meets him, she's met other people with this condition, but they are nowhere near as honest and laid back as he is…

The other character I meet is Dawn. Dawn is the main female protagonist, or, if the player chose the male protagonist, their rival. Dawn doesn't have much of a personality in the games, but she is a major traveling companion and the enemy. Unfortunately, she's not a character I particularly like. She's fairly immature, which drives me a bit crazy… Furthermore, she's a Contest Trainer, which is annoying when the previous anime arc had a Contest trainer in May… About the only thing I liked about Dawn was that her debut episode was devoted entirely to herself. It was a first for the anime, and aside from side episodes focusing on other characters, I don't know if the main series has done since…

Her manga counterpart is called Platinum, but they act so differently, I can't even consider them the same character. She came from a rich family and with bodyguards, but those bodyguards got lost. Platinum then decides to hire the two male protagonists as her bodyguards, and they accept. She is presented as the typical rich protagonist, naïve and a bit snotty. However, she becomes strong later on, eventually striking out on her own. She is also the main protagonist of the Battle Frontier arc, and it shows off her character development fairly well. She still has some difficulties from her past, however, such as managing money in the Battle Castle. It's unknown how Dawn's personality will be in Traveler, or the two personas will be split. Furthermore, in many adaptations, she is shown to be close to Cynthia. I plan to keep that part of her personality in Traveler, but it is unknown exactly how close the two will be (e.g. mentor and apprentice, close friends, or even a type of mother-daughter relationship).

Anyway, I didn't care for Platinum either, but I didn't hate her like I do Dawn. She was too stereotypical for my taste, even if she did mature later…

Anyway, time to head out to the house. Barry has headed up the stairs, shouting that we should do something based on TV, and has promised us a fine if we are late. Luckily, he's never serious…

So I head down the stairs.

And meet another character: Johanna.

Johanna is a calm and composed character, but also a former Contest star. In fact, she's still an active Trainer in all media. If the player reaches Master rank in Contests, she will sometimes challenge them. And she happens to be very good… Johanna is also well known amongst the people of Hearthome, which is the city where Contests take place. I don't have too much to say about her, but I do think it's cool that there is a mother character that's more active in the series as opposed to the passive figures that usually are there. I don't think the games have done this since, although one of the later ones did hint at it…

Anyway, with that introduction of the way, I can finally catch up with Barry.

Oh, and Johanna warns us about not going into the grass… Sure we won't…

 _Sure…_

And just as we're about to head out, Barry forgets something at his house… In a few minutes, he goes and gets it, and we had out to the road…

Barry wants to step onto the grass, because the professor's lab is across there… It's worth noting that the professor's lab in the Sinnoh games is an odd case, because it's the only one in this series that is not in the same town the player starts in (well, other than Unova's sequels, but there is a reason for that). Barry thinks that if we dash through grass, wild Pokémon won't come out... Which is hilarious, considering the way game mechanics work, it's actually the opposite. Running through grass only cause more Pokémon to appear, but of course, the protagonists don't know that…

Anyway, they're just about to run when they meet two more characters.

Their names are Professor Rowan and Lucas.

Lucas has no anime counterpart, unlike Dawn. However, he's the more serious of the two, especially when compared to Barry in the manga. He does enjoy making jokes with him, and the two are fairly close. Other than that, there's not much to say about him.

Professor Rowan, on the other hand, is a different story. Most professors are young and kind. Professor Rowan is neither. He is older than almost all the other professors, and can be rather stern. Some characters describe him as weird, but he's never seen behaving oddly. He's also very active, traveling to other regions and reporting his findings to the public. Lucas and Dawn help out as lab assistants in the games, depending on what the gender the player picked. However, in the anime, his lab assistants go unnamed.

I personally like Professor Rowan, mainly because he breaks the traditions of typical Pokémon professors. But many characters break traditions in this game, which is one of the reasons why it's one of my favorites… Not to mention that Professor Rowan has a softer side, shown here. To begin, Barry is honest when Professor Rowan thinks about not giving him and the player a Pokémon because of their recklessness. Barry admits that it was his idea to go into the tall grass and to only give a Pokémon to the player, because they cautioned against it. That honesty has the professor reward them both with a Pokémon anyway.

So after all that story, time for some gameplay.

Gracie joins my team, and she replaces Turtwig. The reason is because Barry will pick the Fire Type, and it evolves into a Fighting Type eventually. So Gracie will have a natural advantage.

And now it's time for my first battle of the run!

Luckily, it's nothing that a few Confusions can't handle…

Now, to head back home, and receive the Running Shoes. Considering I already have the speedup button enabled, I probably won't use these. But they're still nice to have.

This is also the first generation that allowed the player to run through buildings, which is sped up in the game even more.

Anyway, now it's time to fight some Pokémon in the tall grass. Platinum uses the day and night system, and currently I'm playing at night. It won't be such an issue here, because there are many Pokémon that can learn HMs.

So off into the grass I go.

Or at least I think I'm going to.

Turns out that's not the case.

Barry wants to head to the lake to capture the legendary Pokémon. Except we don't have anything to capture it _with,_ but the Barry doesn't seem to care…

Yet as soon as Barry and I get to the lake, they meet an odd man who babbles about the legendary Pokémon. Having no means to defend themselves, the confused two let the man pass…

Of course, this man is a new character, but I will give him a proper introduction when I actually meet him… I also have to think about how he is going to interact with the other characters in Traveler. Because in Traveler, while his character shares some similarities with the games, he is also completely different. Which means many of his interactions in the games don't happen…

Anyway, Barry suggests getting Poké Balls from Sandgem, so that's exactly what I set out to do.

But not before beating up some wild Pokémon first.

Luckily, they are easy pickings, but Gracie does take some damage. One of the Pokémon, Bidoof, is a bit more offensively oriented, and currently only knows Tackle. Tackle does quite a bit of damage because of Gracie's low defense, so I have to be careful. Luckily, someone gives me a potion on this route, and I'm near a town, so I can buy more.

Also worth noting that Sinnoh is the first region where the music changes depending on whether it's day or night. I find it a cool little addition, and enjoy many of the night tunes… Furthermore, from this generation onward, the amount of Badges of player had affected how many things they could buy. This was in effect regardless of where the player chose to purchase items. I think it's an incredibly useful addition, because it means items are consistent regardless of what the player is. Not to mention I don't need the higher-level stuff until later anyway.

The professor gives me the TM for Return, and I teach to Gracie immediately. It's also worth noting that the Return was also the TM I used in the last region, so Gracie might express having some familiarity with it…

Anyway, I buy some potions and watch Lucas demonstrate how to capture a Pokémon. Pity the tutorials aren't optional, but I can finally catch my own…

At least until I get some items. I have to head back home in order to get the Journal. This item records what the player did last, and is incredibly useful. If the player doesn't play many days in a row, this item will automatically help them remember what they did. The player can also check it manually if they are ever unsure. It's very quick, and also much less intrusive than the Kanto remakes and their constant screenshots…

I'm not sure if Gracie will use this item, since she's never shown keeping a journal before this. Furthermore, runs with Pokémon keeping journals have already been done… It's worth noting that the protagonist of Usurping kept a journal in her original appearance, so she might still keep one here. If that is the case, she will be mentioned, as Johanna mentions that knew a Trainer who kept a journal and loved to write. Gracie wonders if this is the Mold Breaker, but decides not to ask. Furthermore, I'm not sure what to do with the delivery mission either, because Barry is already traveling separately when Gracie's story begins. She might still deliver something though, and remark on the similarities to her first mission from Professor Pine.

Anyway, time to finally catch some Pokémon!

With that, I capture two Bidoof and a Starly. That should really be all I need this game, because once Bidoof evolves, it becomes good with HMs. They evolve fairly early, and one of them is Gracie's double battle partner. I might catch a few other species just in case, but I think I'm okay for now.

And that's really it. With all its new characters and distance between cities, Platinum starts out slowly. But eventually, the game should pick up, and I can further describe how it's one of my favorites.


	31. Miners and Cities

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **31\. Miners and Cities**

 **Day 30 (April 3, 2018): Sinnoh**

Today marks a month long of sessions as I continue this story… Hard to believe it's been that long… It's been quite a ride, and hopefully it will continue to be that way…

So, time to dive in.

After catching some Pokémon, time head north and do some battles.

Nothing Confusion can't handle, but I do need to be careful. Many of the opponents already have attacking moves, including the dreaded Quick Attack. And they will not hesitate to use them… There is a _reason_ this is one of the most difficult entries in the series…

And I'm at Jublife… One of my most favorite cities, and a place I always pictured as bustling and busy. It's pretty cool, with lots of things to do. There's a reason it's the setting for some of my other stories…

Not to mention one of my favorite characters is here.

His name is Looker, and he is a member of the International Police Force. He speaks in a strange manner, which I find hilarious. Eventually, he also picks up foreign languages, although how much he knows is never revealed. He is not a competent battler, eventually losing his only Pokémon sometime in between series entries. However, he does his best to enforce the law in the region, and unlike most examples, is actually good at his job and successful. Looker is also shown to be compassionate and cares for younger Trainers, worrying about the protagonists and enlisting their help in finding thieves. In one of the later games, he also cares for a young girl named Emma, rescuing her from the streets and teaching her how to make an honest living.

Looker is quite popular with the fan base and the developers as well, which is probably why he's appeared in almost every game since his debut. He is also Platinum exclusive, and has his own arc which ends in the postgame. Not only is his dialogue hilarious, but he actually does try to enforce laws in the Pokémon world, even though that seems to be a difficult job with how the world is set up (run by kids who don't always seem to know what they're doing, with criminals everywhere that are more than willing to do whatever they can to make the world theirs). Not to mention he's not all that good at battling, and later loses his only Pokémon.

That's one part of Looker's character that didn't make sense… In a world where Pokémon are used to function, it's repeatedly stated that he seems to be without one. Yet Looker is traveling as a police officer throughout the regions with no Pokémon, so not only is he in danger by having no Pokémon, but his job is naturally dangerous to boot. X and Y really shows this off, when he gets hurt in one of his missions and asked to spend time in the hospital. As for the criminals he apprehends, they thankfully come with him almost willingly. But all it would take would be someone unleashing their Pokémon, and Looker would be dead…

The games try to justify it by having the player and others be there, but imagine what would happen if they weren't… Not to mention there are several people in the International Police Force that can fight, such as Anabel and Nanu. Maybe Looker just relies on them… But it still makes it confusing, because he's seen alone several times… Not to mention that the most competent fighter of the lot, Anabel, joins much later than the other two…

Perhaps Holly Rising will show the consequences of this by having him be killed somehow… I can think of a scene where he would appear, but also be in danger… Furthermore, the protagonist in Holly Rising has no attachment to him, and may even resent him… In Usurping, she throws her weight behind his cause, and may even see his Pokémon killed. When she realizes that he is wandering around without any Pokémon, she gives him one of hers and a few spare Ultra Balls… I am not sure what Pokémon that will be right now, but at this point, I am considering having it be a Glaceon…

Anyway, onward through the city! The first stop is the Trainer's School.

Barry is here, but not to fight. Instead, I give him the Town Map, he checks its location, and realizes he has to head to Oreburgh…

After that, he dashes off.

But there are still some Trainers I can battle.

Luckily, they are easy, and one gives me healing item.

Next off, to the city center. The city is holding a promotion for something called a Poketech. The Poketech is one of the most useful items in the game, and the player receives more and more features as they win Badges. It requires going back to the city periodically, though. The apps can do everything from checking the time, just checking the status of eggs, to even checking what Pokémon are in the player's party and how friendly they are towards them. However, because this is a solo, I don't think I will be using it much this run.

Anyway, all I have to do is find three clowns, and answer their basic questions. It's very simple, so the piece of equipment is soon mine. Also get the Quick Claw here, and immediately give it to Gracie.

The rest of the city holds a few items, but nothing spectacular. The west leads to a fishing hole, and another city I can't access now. The south is obviously the way back. Finally, the north is the path with the second Badge, and I'm not ready to go there now.

So I have no choice but go to the east.

And into a Rival battle.

Luckily, Confusion ends it quickly…

Also, somehow, I managed to capture an Abra. I decide to keep it with me because I don't think anyone else can learn Flash, and having access to Teleport is useful.

With that taken care of, I continue heading down the route. The trainers aren't tough, but I start having Power Point issues... Luckily, Abra's there to just teleport me back to the Pokémon Center…

I wonder how I would write this. Gracie has long since forgotten Teleport in game, but in the Traveler series, Pokémon are allowed to use all the moves they know. And teleporting seems to be a natural power of both psychic Pokémon and psychic Trainers… So Gracie should already know how to teleport back… Maybe she's just a bit rusty from acting like a Trainer and has to get herself used to using it again…

After a quick heal, on I go.

There's a place called Oreburgh Gate, and it's where I need head next. It's a small little cave, but it also contains Rock Smash. Even though I can't use outside of battle yet, I teach to the party.

Before long, I reach the first Gym City.

Except the Gym Leader isn't here. He's in the mines, south of the city, and I need to find him.

So I'm no choice but to head there.

And so begins the first true dungeon of the game.

It's still pretty short, but it's full of Trainers and Pokémon. Thankfully, there all weak to Gracie's special attacks. I meet the Gym Leader and convince him to go back to his gym, but I won't do a proper explanation on him until a bit later.

It also worth noting that there is a route to the north, but it's only home to a few extra Pokémon, so I don't bother with it.

Instead, I head straight to the Gym.

There are two Trainers to deal with and they both fall to Gracie's special attacks.

And then there's Roark himself. He is young, but energetic. Roark also an expert at mining, and teaches the player how to use it later on in the game. He is the son of another Gym Leader, Byron, and appears to have a good relationship with his father. His grandfather was also one of the first to discover some of these secret techniques for mining underground, but he goes unnamed. I'll be meeting him later, though. In the anime, Roark is also shown to be effective at using tactics. He uses several of Ash's own moves against him, even though the latter wins the fight.

I like Roark because I like energetic personalities, and it's not enough to be annoying. I also like the relationship he has with Byron, which is further expanded on in the anime. I'm also biased towards the mining minigame, and Roark teaches the player how. But more on that later.

For now, it's time to fight.

Rorak is noteworthy for having a Pokémon called Crandios. This Pokémon is noteworthy for having two attacks. One is Headbutt, which is an incredibly powerful move at this point in the game. Furthermore, it can cause an opponent to miss their turn if Craindos strikes first. Given the fact that it is faster and higher leveled than most what the player has, it probably will. The other move is Pursuit. Pursuit is a Dark Type move that does at least neutral damage to everything the player has at this point. Furthermore, it doubles in power if the player decides to switch out.

Of course, Cranidos decides to use it, putting Gracie at half health. Luckily, she hits back with Confusion. This attack injures the opponent enough where Roark is forced to heal. Gracie takes the opponent out with two Confusions, before it can attack again. His other two Pokémon, Geodude and Onix, meet the same fate as much of their brethren, being destroyed by only one attack.

And Roark gives out a move he never used during the fight.

This move is called Stealth Rock. It doesn't have much use in a solo run, or in most of the main game.

However, in competitive play, it's an absolute terror. It summons rocks that damage any foe switching in. This may not seem like much, but there's the fact that the attack does Rock Type damage. And countless Pokémon are weak to Rock, so usually get heavily injured before they even do anything… This makes Stealth Rock one of the best moves in competitive play, able to cripple almost anything the instant the Pokémon is sent out… Some fans have wanted Stealth Rock to do Normal Type damage instead. Unfortunately, that has not happened.

Anyway, with the first Badge in my possession, I travel back to Jublife. This time, I take the path to the north. As stated before, it eventually leads to the second Badge, but it takes a while to get there…

First things first, pick up a Pal Pad. This item can be used to register friends to trade and battle with. Furthermore, it also allowed registration of people over Wi-Fi. But since players have moved on to newer games, and the Wi-Fi for these games has long since shut down, the item is kind of useless now… I'm not sure if Gracie receive it or not, and if she does, what she will use it for…

Now, I can head to the north.

Or maybe not quite.

Some team Galactic Grunts have decided to attack Rowan and Lucas.

And Rowan gives a hilarious speech to the grunts, not fazed at all… However, this only makes the grunts angrier, and they try to attack Lucas. Lucas asks for my help, and I have no choice but to comply.

This battle is notable for one thing; Gracie's first encounter against a Dark Type. It can be dangerous, but thankfully the other Pokémon focuses on attacking Lucas. Gracie is forced to whittle it down with Return, and because of her low attacking stat, she's not doing much damage at this point. At least Lucas helps out a little with Bubble…

It's worth noting that Lucas (or Dawn, if the player is male), will always have the Pokémon the player's starter is strong against. So Lucas has the Water Type Piplup because the game thinks I chose the Grass Type Turtwig… Also, he had Chimchar in the catching tutorial… I have no idea why that is… Also noting that this fight is similar to teaming up with Steven in Emerald. Emerald was the first game to allow the player to team up with an NPC, and (remakes aside) it's become quite common since… So this is not the last time Gracie will team up with another Trainer… Far from it…

With all that done, I can finally head to the north.

The trainers here aren't very tough, and there's little area called Ravaged Path, but a simple Rock Smash clears the way.

My first double battle is here. It's a group of Pachirisu that constantly use Quick Attack. A lot of times, they just go for Gracie. And they're strong enough to survive some of her attacks. But twice they charge at Bidoof. And he's more than 10 levels below them… I think he will lose the match, but somehow he survives, clinging to life in the red. He gets a few good levels out of it too. One cautious step on the pathway to evolution…

And I enter the next place; Flamora.

However, I will save that for next time. There's a lot to do there, after all.


	32. Flowers and Forests

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **32\. Flowers and Forests**

 **Day 31 (April 4, 2018): Sinnoh**

So time for another episode on the Gracie channel! This time, I'm at Flamora Town, the town of flowers. Or as one guide so amusingly put it, the town of getting stuff.

There are many items to get here, but most of them won't be useful for the run…

Regardless, I continue on through.

The store sells Super Potions, which is an upgrade from what I currently have. I buy some until I'm almost out of money. Knowing how difficult this game can be, I will need them…

It seems I'm to head to the east to Valley Windworks… Team Galactic is up to their old tricks, and I have to stop them.

After a quick battle, it's back to the town. It seems the Grunt has a key to the Windworks, but his companions in the flower fields have the only other one… I have no idea why he would tell me this, seeing as it's a perfect way to confuse the player… Maybe the Grunts are just cocky… It would make sense, seeing as it's still early in the game and they don't know the player's strength yet…

Unfortunately, it's another battle against a Dark Type. One of the Grunts has a Stunky, a Dark Type Pokémon that uses Poison Type attacks. Unfortunately, this time, there's no Piplup to protect me, and I take the full brunt of Poison Gas. Return is still pretty weak at this point, so it takes a few hits to take down. Luckily, my opponent's attacks are also weak… The other Grunt also has two Poison Type Pokémon, so they're easily taken down.

It's worth noting that starting with this generation, poison works a little differently. It still drains HP outside of battle, but it can no longer make a Pokémon faint. If a Pokémon reaches one HP, the poison will fade away instead, and the player can use healing items like normal. I think it's a nice little addition, seeing how annoying poison was in previous generations, but it still makes it something that has to be filled with a sense of urgency. At the same time, if the player doesn't have the resources to do that, they can still deal with that rather than risking having to run back to a Pokémon Center. On runs where fainted Pokémon cannot be used again, some players still count it as a death, however. I never did, even when poison actually did make Pokémon faint outside of battle. In generations after this, the mechanic of poison doing damage outside of battle was gotten rid of completely… Needless to say, there was much rejoicing…

The end of the battle also introduces another mechanic. Unfortunately, this is one I really don't like. It's called Honey Trees. Across their journey, the player will encounter yellow trees. These yellow trees can have Honey slapped onto them. The player then has to wait around eight real-life hours in order for Pokémon to appear. However, if they wait too long, the Pokémon will flee and their efforts will be wasted. Furthermore, some rare Pokémon can only be found this way, and each individual tree has different Pokémon appearance rates. Unfortunately, the game doesn't tell the player what those are, and unlike with berries, there's no way to track the progress of the trees… Furthermore, once a player finds a Pokémon, they cannot change the encounter by resetting. Attributes about the Pokémon, such as gender, can be changed, but the species will remain fixed.

Overall, this is one of the most tedious mechanics in the series, but it thankfully has never made a return. Honey did appear in other games, though, but only to force encounters if the player was already in tall grass.

Anyway, time to head out and save the people of the Valley Windworks.

Also worth noting Gracie learns Wish. Hopefully it will be useful…

The Grunts here aren't very tough, but there is someone else: Mars.

Mars is one of the Team Galactic commanders, and she mainly uses Purulgy in battle. She is cruel, and incredibly powerful. She's also devoted to Cyrus, her leader. When his team disbands and a man named Charon tries to take it over, she shows disdain for his ideals and promptly leaves. Mars states that she is going to try and find the missing Cyrus, but it is unknown what she is going to do after that. She is often seen teaming up with another commander, Jupiter, although the two do not like each other. Mars is often at the front lines of battle, helping to capture legendary Pokémon, appearing at more dangerous locations, and otherwise terrorizing citizens as much as she can. Many fans speculate that she is related to Silver somehow, but the games neither confirm nor deny this.

I don't really have much to say on Mars herself. She's basically a more developed Arianna, and her largest development doesn't happen unless the player is playing Platinum and has beaten the main game. At least her story is nowhere near as rushed... Unlike Arianna, Mars doesn't seem to have as many relationships with other characters on her team. However, some works pair her with Cyrus, and her admiration to him develops into romance. But considering what kind of person Cyrus is, it's unknown if that's genuine. But of course, I will explain all that when I get to him later.

For now, it's time to fight Mars.

Her Zubat goes down easily enough.

But her Purguly causes real problems.

It starts out with Fake Out, which makes lose my turn. The next move is Faint Attack, which weakens Gracie. Rapidly, I heal up. Gracie gets hit by another attack, but she is still strong enough to attack back. Her Confusion confuses the foe, but the next move leaves her in the red. I have no choice but to heal, and hope that the confusion helps out.

At first, it doesn't help, and my opponent attacks with Scratch. The second turn, Purguly hits itself, allowing Gracie to take it out with Confusion.

That was a very close match.

And it was only the beginning…

Also, another new character steps up from behind Mars. This is his first appearance, but I will hold off talking about him until little bit later.

Now the Valley Windworks is saved, I can keep moving.

Also, a little girl mentioned something about a balloon Pokémon.

She is actually referring to an event that happens every Friday. On Fridays, a Pokémon called Drifloon will rest in front of the Valley Windworks. Once it is captured or defeated, it will disappear. However, a new one will appear every week, giving the player infinite chances to capture it. Driftloon is a fairly good Pokémon, especially considering how early it appears in the game. And since the Windworks is fairly straightforward and a short distance away, it's worth doing the event. In this sense, Driftloon is a lot like a Lapras from the Johto games, but much easier to find in the game and much better about hinting at its location. Unlike Lapras, Driftloon could easily be found in the wild in later games, so players that did not do the event were not out of luck. I won't be doing the event this run, however.

But, perhaps Gracie will see a Driftoon, talk to it, or even wonder about its abilities. It is one of my favorite Ghost Type Pokémon, so I want to have a represented in some way.

Anyway, a quick heal, and to the north I go.

The Trainers are not strong, but the route is long. Thankfully, there is a rest house nearby. Also worth noting that there's a wild Shellos that does damage to Gracie with Water Pulse and confuses her, but she still beats it.

And now, off to Eterna Forest.

But it won't be going along.

Instead, I team up with a woman named Cheryl.

Cheryl is polite, but rather quiet. She wants to get through the forest, but has heard Team Galactic is there. She asks to team up with the player and they accept. It's worth noting that Cheryl is one of five Trainers that team up with the player. These Trainers will make all battles double battles, but will heal the party completely after each encounter. After their arcs are complete, the Trainers can be partners at the Battle Tower, or fought after the main game is cleared. Cheryl's strategy is healing, and her stat is HP.

The anime and manga give her a bit more development. In the anime, she is looking for a Pokémon called Mothim. Mothim is the only species of Pokémon that can help Cheryl find a place called the Amber Castle. And since Cheryl is descended from a family of treasure hunters, she wants to find it and explore. However, while she finds what she's looking for, she has trouble controlling her new Pokémon, and the group has to help her with it. Eventually, however, she does find Amber Castle, helps out the Pokémon there, and bids Ash's group farewell. She is also revealed two have a fondness for honey, and is friends with the Gym Leader in the nearby city.

The manga gives her more characterization, showing her to be good with younger Trainers. This is particularly true when she comforts another Trainer, Mira, after the latter ends up in the hospital. She also seems to care about many of the other Trainers, such as worried when Marley gets captured, and convincing the others to let her go to the Distortion World. Cheryl is shown to be good at battling, able to go head-to-head with Mars and be on even ground.

Overall, she's one of my favorite characters.

Which is why she plays a huge role in Traveler.

Cheryl begins to travel with the main protagonist of Usurping, and she is a doctor. She travels with the protagonist a while, helping with both physical and emotional elements, realizing the protagonist's issues alongside her strength. Cheryl makes the protagonist realize that even the strongest people sometimes need help, and that it's no shame having someone tending to her physically. Cheryl fights to change the laws, because as a doctor, she sees many Trainers who are injured or otherwise traumatized by journeys.

It's worth noting a little while before, Cheryl had tried to help with Candice's Glaceon, who had recklessly gotten pregnant and was about to give birth. Unfortunately the Pokémon does not survive the difficult birth, and Cheryl is left wondering what to do with the egg that was left behind. Candice and Flannery do not see what happened, but the protagonist of Usurping does see the aftermath and becomes anxious.

She debates what to tell Candice and Flannery, and eventually tells them the story of the Rainbow Bridge. The protagonist of Usurping states that they will see Glaceon again if they proceed to make her and others happy. This gives Candice the idea to give Glaceon's child to the protagonist of Usurping, knowing that she liked her and that she was powerful. Candice believes it would make her happy to see her child safe. The protagonist of Usurping finds this awkward, but accepts. Cheryl, on the other hand, is much sharper with the two, scolding them for what happened. However, this goes right over their heads. The resulting conflict makes the protagonist of Usurping leave the group for a little while, and Cheryl follows.

Cheryl eventually finds the protagonist at the Old Château. She encourages her to go in once she realizes the protagonist of Usurping's latent powers are drawing her to the ghosts there. Cheryl also comforts her about her powers activating in the place. Together, they encounter several ghosts and ghost Pokémon, but the protagonist of Usurping's powers allow her to reason with them and otherwise fight.

Eventually, they reached the center of the room, where Rotom awaits. The protagonist of Usurping already has this Pokémon, and decides not capture the wild one. However, it does help her unlock her Rotom's final form, a Pokémon in the shape of the Pokédex that has the powers of the Steel type. In the games, this form is available in the Alola region, but does not fight. Instead it acts as the player's partner, giving them hints and support in battle. However, I thought it would be cool if the Pokédex actually fought, and could easily see it doing so. Therefore, I gave it its own battle abilities in Traveler, with Steel typing and the move Flash Cannon. It's also worth noting that the protagonist of Usurping is an experienced Trainer, and even as a rookie, is powerful. Therefore, she does not need the advice, and benefits more from battle ready Pokémon.

Cheryl has another major appearance before Holly's story begins. Erika is visiting her old friend Gardina. Holly hears rumors of a powerful Pokémon at Old Château. She heads out with a group of Trainers to capture the beast, leaving at night similar to how she does in Daughter. However, although they make it to Rotom's room, many are tormented and injured by the ghosts and ghost Pokémon there. Holly is attacked by Rotom and falls to the floor, but Cheryl manages to save her. She curses that the Mold Breaker is not with her this time, because she would've been able to negotiate with the ghosts before anything happened. After checking everyone for injuries, she leads the Trainers back to their parents, including leading Holly back to Erika. It's worth noting that this is probably a bit before the time Gracie meets Holly, or in between the time she meets her and enters the forest. Regardless, Holly is post legal training age, and is trying again to impress her mother in order to become a Trainer.

In Gracie's story, she helps her in the forest, and the two start being attacked by ghosts. Gracie doesn't know what to do, having no ghost Pokémon Trainers near her, and seeing visions of all the horrible things that happened in the forest. However, Cheryl appears and rescues her with her own Ghost Type. It's revealed to be a Rotom in its Grass Type form. Gracie shocked that Cheryl would have the Pokémon but Cheryl replies that it's because she's seen it many times. She then explains the meaning of all the visions, and what happened to the young Trainers in the forest. Gracie asks what she means about the Rotom, and Cheryl replies that this is in fact the same Pokémon that Holly chased all those years ago. Cheryl replies that even though it's not the type of Pokémon should normally uses, it does help her with machines.

It's no surprise, then, that Cheryl has a huge role to play in Usurping.

In Usurping, she joins the main party, acting as someone who can help the others with their physical and emotional health, and also has a very keen sense in finding items and what to do in nature. When Holly and the protagonist of Usurping are first brought to the Center, Cheryl is seen there. Since Holly has much stronger resistance to psychic power, Cheryl quickly notices that Holly is about to break free of her psychic restraints. She says that she will take care of Holly, having a bit of a score to settle with her, and the other nurses can take care of Usurping's protagonist and Anabel.

Anabel agrees, and Cheryl releases her Rotom. Cheryl asks Holly if she were remembers this Pokémon, and Holly's eyes go wide. She finds out that it's the same Pokémon she chased after years ago, and she put it, herself, and many others in danger. Holly tries to retort that catching a Pokémon is normal and not putting others in danger, but Cheryl says chasing a Pokémon that one has no chance against _is_ danger. She then uses Rotom to restrain Holly, and roughly heals her. Cheryl quickly checks on the status of Anabel and Usurping's protagonist, surprised to hear that the protagonist is asleep, but also bleeding from her nose. Anabel explains what that means, but is also surprised the protagonist's powers would activate here. Cheryl has a feeling that it can't be anything good.

Later on, after Holly tries to escape arrest but is caught, Cheryl wants to go with the officers in case anyone gets hurt. However, her help is refused, and she instead stays at the center helping those in the city. She is not nearby when the protagonist has a panic attack, but does hear about it. Cheryl also chooses not to be in the call that reveals Kris's identity, believing that she deserve some privacy, and that the nurses still need her help after what happened. She does testify against Holly in court, however, explaining what happened before and what happened now, as proof that Holly is indeed a dishonest Trainer. It is worth noting that after Kris ends her call with Pine, she asks to join the group, stating that they probably need a healer. The group accepts. Finally, it's worth noting that in the original version of the Pokémon and Vessels page, Marley is currently listed as the Vessel for Shaymin. However, I am thinking of changing that to Cheryl, mainly because Shaymin is associated with grass and healing, and Cheryl is more associated with that than Marley.

With all that said about Cheryl, it's time to actually fight with her.

Chansey can't fight all that well, but at least she has a bit of a damaging attack. She helps out a little, although a Pachirisu does use Spark to injure and paralyze Gracie. But other than that, there's no issues.

And I head right past a place called Old Château. This is one of the spookiest places in the game, complete with its own creepy music. The player can find a lot of ghost Pokémon here, but they can also find lots of actual ghosts. If they go into one of the rooms, they can see the ghost of a little girl and butler, but they will not interact with them. Furthermore, if the player uses a certain technique, they can get Gengar to appear. And Gengar is a rare Pokémon, one the player is not likely have until about halfway through the game.

But the real attraction of Old Château is Rotom. Old Château has an event to find it, and it can only be found through that event. If the player is playing tonight and examines the TV, the game will ask the player if they want to hit the TV. Doing so triggers a fight with Rotom, and the player can then try to capture it. This event is available as soon as the player gets the second Badge.

Obviously, I won't be doing the Old Château this run. But there is a reason I wanted to mention it.

That reason is because of Charon.

Charon is arrogant and power-hungry, being a new, but older member of Team Galactic. He will stop nothing to make sure the team's plans succeed, and when the team falls, he wastes no time establishing a new one. Unfortunately, because no one likes him, the new team quickly collapses. Charon is promptly arrested by Looker, and it's unknown what happens to him afterward. His role in other media is much the same, although he is revealed to either have Pokémon or be able to control them with machines. In the games, it's unknown if he can do either.

But there's an interesting tidbit about Charon, if the player uncovers extra notes in the Old Château. It's revealed that Charon studied Rotom, and was one of the first discover that they had many forms. The two became friends, but were eventually separated. It's implied that this is the same Pokémon that lives in the Old Château currently. Charon may have also lived in the Château when he was younger, but it is unknown.

I do have an opinion on Charon, but I can't explain it without spoiling another character's past. So I'm going to hold off until I get to the other character.

As for the Old Château in Gracie's story, she may decide to go inside it, even though she is frightened by the ghosts. Cheryl reassures her that she will protect her, and that two continue on. In the room where Rotom is, Gracie suddenly sees the TV flicker. Cheryl finds it odd, saying that the television should have long since been nonfunctional. Suddenly, Gracie sees an image of something flashing, and gasps in horror when she realizes it's a picture of the girl from the Burned Tower. Gracie wonders what she would be doing here, and Cheryl notices that she is obviously spooked.

Per Gracie's request, the two leave. Cheryl asks her what happened, and who that was. Gracie responds by telling her about the spirit in the Burned Tower, and wonders again what she is doing here. Cheryl replies that her friend Gardina is in the next city, and that she might know something. If not, there's a Trainer even further who studies ghosts. Her name is Fantina, and Trainers usually head to her after getting the Badge in the nearby city. Gracie nods, thinking that those Trainers might be able to tell her something, and they set off.

So Sinnoh gets its first major story update as I head for Eterna. There's a lot to do there, and I want to make sure I get it all.


	33. Garden Galaxy

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **33\. Garden Galaxy**

 **Day 32 (April 6, 2018): Sinnoh**

And now Gracie's adventure continues!

But before I head on, I'd like to further explain something that was in the last update, but never addressed.

The Battle Frontier.

That's right, the Battle Frontier makes a return in this game as a facility that can be challenged after the main game is cleared.

However, I find it inferior to its Emerald counterpart, and many of the leaders aren't anything noteworthy. In fact, the leaders don't even show up in the anime, and hardly do anything in Pokémon Special. The only one who does anything noteworthy in both the games and manga is Palmer. In the games, he's known for being Barry's father, and the two have a heartfelt reunion as Palmer introduces the player to the Frontier. In the manga, he helps lead some of the others to the Distortion World, and is powerful enough to hold his own against the Pokémon there.

Unfortunately, the modes for the Battle Frontier aren't so great either. The Battle Tower and the Battle Factory make a return, but they're the same as their Emerald incarnations. One of the new facilities is a watered-down version of Lucy's, called the Battle Arcade. In this facility, a roulette spins before each battle. This determines what happens to the Trainers, and effects can be good or bad… However, unlike with Lucy, there is a bit of control over the odds, so that at least some of the battles will be favorable. It makes things easier, but also less interesting…

Another new area is the Solo Challenge, which is just what sounds like. The player takes one Pokémon, and has them challenge any one of the 17 types (Fairy didn't exist back then, and Shadow is not considered a type). Each opponent would have their own Pokémon matching that Type, and the goal was to win 10 battles a row. After then, the player could move on to another Type, and after this is accomplished enough times, the boss of the area would challenge them. Unlike other Trainers, she would use Pokémon of any Type, other than those that cannot be used in the Frontier. So it was a bit of an interesting challenge, except for the fact that a player could invoke a similar challenge themselves by playing a solo run…

There was one facility that I really did enjoy, and that was the Battle Castle. The Battle Castle is a place where the players could not bring their own items, and were instead given a limited amount of money. More money could be awarded by defeating Trainers, with the amount increasing depending on how well the player does in the fights. The money could mainly be used to buy items, but it can also be used for many other things. It could buff up the player's Pokémon, decrease the power of their opponents', and even allow the player to see the attributes of opposing Pokémon. One player was far enough, they could even choose to skip battles completely, provided the battle was not the boss.

This was one of the facilities are truly liked because of the fact that, like Contests, it requires a lot of strategy and thinking ahead. If the player charges in with superstrong Pokémon, they may easily find themselves on the losing side. And if the player carelessly spends their money, it's also a great way to lose… The boss this area is also memorable, mainly due to his connection with another character… However, the character will be explained later when she plays a larger role… I also wonder what will happen if the Battle Frontier gets removed like it did in the Hoenn remakes… It would make sense, but it's a major part of one of the character's backstories… So I wonder what the developers would do with her… Perhaps a cameo…

Something funny about this is that the currency in the Battle Castle is called CP. CP is also the name of a disability, both the one I have in real life, and the one the protagonists in both timelines have… I am not missing the chance to make puns about that… Also worth noting since Gracie's story does not involve the postgame, she won't be visiting the Battle Frontier. She might still see people from there, though.

With that out of the way, time to head into Eterna!

Well, after battling some fishermen near the city. Luckily, Gracie's newly learned Magical Leaf proves useful, and the battles don't take long.

Next thing I know, I'm in the second city.

And the first matter of business is the Underground.

Right next to the Pokémon Center is the place where I can get the Explorer Kit. There is also a series of tests that are assigned, and the player must complete them to unlock different functions. I may as well show off the underground, so I head down.

Except it appears the Underground is not accessible with my current settings… I'm guessing it's because it uses wireless communication, and most non-native devices don't know how to do that. I know there is a way that can be used, but since I'm not using the Underground this run, I'm not going to bother figuring that out…

Anyway, the Underground is where players can communicate with other ones… They can do things such as set traps, create a secret base, or fight each other for flags in the Underground… But the main objective of the Underground lies in finding items… The player is armed with a hammer and a pickaxe, and has to chip away at crumbling walls… There are items hidden beneath the walls, and the items are often rare and useful… However, every time the player tries to hit a wall, they do damage to it… After too much damage, the wall collapses, and the player loses the chance to get any items…

There's also an interesting little sidequest was that happens if the player is playing with other people. In one of the most bizarre ways to catch a Pokémon ever, the player must talk to 32 different other players in the underground. Later on in the game, they will receive something called an Odd Keystone. They must then take this item to a place called the Hallowed Tower. Doing this will trigger a fight with a Pokémon called Spiritomb, and that Pokémon is one of the best in the game.

Not that the player even gets any hints about this.

There is an exploit, but there's no hints about that either.

The player must have two systems that can go into the Underground. At least one of the players must have made a Secret Base. One player must stand outside the other's Secret Base and talk to them. After the conversation, the other player enters their secret base, closing it and coming back out. This will count as a separate conversation, even though it's not. The player that just used their Secret Base can continue talking to the other one until they have the correct amount of people.

Once again, it's bizarre, and has nothing to do with the Pokémon in question at all… In later games, Spirtomb was made a little bit easier to find, but still difficult to encounter…

I have mixed feelings on the Underground. At the time it was released, I found the whole process tedious and fairly useless… There wasn't much to do in single player, and it felt like a downgrade from the secret bases from Emerald.

Then, when I got to a difficulty hack several years later, my feelings changed. In this hack, the Underground was simply part of a Secret Base and it was a very good way to earn money. Because of the difficulty, any money earned was vital. On top of that, the mining game was much easier to play, mainly because things were easier to see, and there was only one location to travel to… The game also gave very good rewards if the player had enough money to use them, so it was worth getting more from the Underground. Because of this, I ended up playing the Underground game for hours, and fell in love with it… So while I don't think the Sinnoh games executed the concept very well, I think the minigame is solid…

I'm not sure how Gracie would react to the Underground, or if she would even go there. She might be a bit confused, and of course, Roark would be there to teach her.

Anyway, on to the next thing.

The Pokémon statue. Barry takes the player to see if they get too far into the city, but it appears the strange Trainer Cyrus is studying it. Still too early for proper introduction, but he will get his time soon…

And his appearance triggers the appearance of another character: Cynthia. Cynthia is the Champion of the Sinnoh League, and the first female Champion in the series. In the Unova games, it's implied she presides over all Champions, and created the World Tournament herself. Cynthia also owns a villa in Unova, and will challenge the player there after the main game is cleared. She grew up in Celestic Town, but she states that isn't where she lives currently. The region she is from has yet to be revealed, but it might be in a future game… She is close to Rowan, and explains that she set out on a journey for him with her Pokédex (which she still has). In the games, Cynthia acts as a mentor to the player, helping them out using items and giving them guidance about where to go. She also has a friendly demeanor the entire game, even in the ones where she makes cameos. She enjoys studying mythology, and is notable that ancient traditions. When the player has to head to the mysterious Distortion World, she explains what's going on. Cynthia then enters to guide and protect the player, in hopes that she can also stop what's going on. Throughout the game, she is at odds with Cyrus, although many people like to pair them together.

In the anime, her personality is larger kept intact, but she's also shown to have a stricter side. She does not appreciate Trainers to refuse to take care of their Pokémon. This is shown when she is scolding Paul for not healing is Pokémon that were injured in battle. She also is revealed to be able to understand the language of the Pokémon Unown, although it's not revealed if she can understand any other ancient tongues. Cynthia is seems to be skilled at healing Pokémon, as she takes over for a nurse when Paul's team is injured. She also heals a Meloetta suffering from a fever, and shows restraint in battle, ending a practice match with Iris before the latter's Pokémon could get hurt.

In many fan depictions, she is seen as being close to Dawn, although the two are not seen together much in the anime. The Traveler series keeps this interpretation. But unlike some of them, it's more like a child and the parent or a mentor relationship. In Pokémon generations, she appears to stop Cyrus herself, rather than Dawn or Lucas. Therefore, it is unknown what happened to them, or if Cynthia simply took their place in the story. The 19th Pokémon movie reveals she has a daughter named Verity, and can be rather hard on her. However, since this movie takes place in an alternate timeline, it is unknown how true this is the main series. Even more confusing is that later information shows that the woman who is Verity's mother simply _looks like_ Cynthia, and may not actually _be_ her. This is not confirmed either way, even though Cynthia does have a sister that _could_ look like her. Regardless, since Verity looks nothing like Cynthia, she is instead the latter's adopted daughter in Traveler. It's also worth noting that Cynthia does have children of her own in the series.

In the Pokémon Special manga, Cynthia is revealed to enjoy cycling. She acts as a mother figure to the three main Trainers. Cynthia is even more active in this interpretation, taking on Team Galactic herself many times. She also performs a few actions that would normally be performed by the player, such as healing Psyduck and rescuing trapped citizens in Eterna. She even tries to fight Cyrus herself, but does not succeed. All this almost makes it seems as though Cynthia is supposed to be the main protagonist.

A story with Cynthia as the main protagonist… Now that would be interesting… She might have to leave her Pokémon behind though, at least until she does what she needs to do… Actually, I have a story in progress right now where Cyrus is musing about Christmas Day, and Cynthia has taken the place of the protagonist. She saves him from the Distortion World, and then has him get help for his problems. The end of the story has Cyrus observing the traditions on Christmas Day, thinking that without spirit, the traditions would not exist, and that it's not so bad to have it after all. The story also ends with him meeting up with Cynthia, and her smiling as he comes to this conclusion… Since Cynthia is such an interesting character, there may be other stories with her as the main one eventually…

Anyway, Cynthia is one of my favorite characters, not only because she's the first female Champion, but also because she is one the strongest Trainers in the entire series. Unless the player comes in with a lot of knowledge of her Pokémon and an extremely specific strategy, she is very difficult to beat… Not to mention that I like the mentor and friendly type of relationship she has with the player, which is something not seen in Champions before this. Finally, she's incredibly active in all media, guiding the player through almost all the game… Not to mention I like her backstory of starting out as a Trainer on a quest for Professor Rowan, and with him even stating that he attended her championship ceremony… It really makes her much more relatable, and shows that Champions are not so different from the Trainers to try to beat them… I think it would be cool to write a Cynthia prequel, in the Traveler universe, canon, or otherwise…

Which is why Cynthia plays a huge role in Traveler.

I can't talk about all her role in so I can talk about Cyrus, because some of her role involves him. However, I can say that Cynthia is Arcues, taking the form of a human and living their lives. As a result, she went to an ordinary human life with a double identity (hence why she still has her grandmother and the rest of her family). She does, however, act like a Vessel, protecting all the others and having the ability to summon their powers. She is the creator of the Vessel system, in order for legendary Pokémon and humans to bond with and protect each other. Like all vessels, she carries out the duty of Arcues and can utilize its power, although very few know what actually is. Her condition also rants or immortality, but she tries to avoid dying, because she states it's an unpleasant experience. Cynthia also states that if she ever were to choose to die in this form, she would simply return to that of Acues, allowing her to begin the cycle anew.

The protagonist of Usurping sees Arcues alongside the other two Pokémon representing death (Giratina and Darkai, for the curious) several times due to constantly evading near-death experiences. For those wondering, Darkrai presides over hell and nightmares, and Arcues presides over Heaven. Giratina ferries souls to the afterlife, judges where they will go (if applicable), and takes souls to places if they don't fit into either of the other two (e.g. non-Christian religions). Yuvetal doesn't fit into the trio, because I consider to be the God of destruction rather than death… However, that doesn't mean the series won't be seeing more of it…

Eventually, the protagonist accompanied by her group of Ash, Zinnia, and Wally, heads to the Msytri Stage in the Sinjoh Ruins. The others each receive a legendary Pokémon (Ash for Dialgia, Wally for Palkia, and Zinnia for Giratina). However, the protagonist heads straight up the stairs, confronting Cynthia and realizing her to her true death. The protagonist asks if Cynthia has been responsible for all those times she recovered from experience that should have killed her, and Cynthia reply she has not been. Cynthia responds that all of that is the protagonist's own will, and it is that will that will determine what the protagonist becomes. The protagonist simply repeats the words "a strong will", remembering the strong wills of the restless dead that type and the earth. Cynthia replies that it is similar, because the protagonist's own strong wall is not allowing her to die, even if she faces a situation which she could. The protagonist becomes horrified, stating that if she were to die right now, would she become like the restless dead, roaming the worlds forever. Cynthia replies that this is up to the protagonist, and what she does with her gifts. There might be a little bit more conversation about her identity, before the protagonist is let go. Another conversation occurs in Holy Rising's path, but since the situation for the protagonist there is completely different, I am not sure what that is.

Anyway, on to the next area of interest, the Gym!

The Gym's puzzle is rather cute, where the entire gym into the forest with a giant flower clock. In order to make the clocks hand spin, the player must defeat Trainers. Defeating all the trainers will make the clocks spin completely straight, creating a pathway to the Leader.

So I have no choice but to go in.

Unfortunately, Gardina's trainers have the misfortune of most of their Pokémon being part poison type, so Gracie easily defeats them. Gardina herself isn't all that tough, but her Pokémon or higher level. This means that survive attacks and do some damage back. The combined Magical Leaves injure Gracie, along with a Grass Knot from Roserade… Luckily, Gracie still defeats them all with Confusion. She wants to learn Calm Mind, and I let her. I will need this move for something much later in the game.

Before I leave, a bit about Gardinia. She is young and energetic, always wearing for battle. She is also friendly with everyone, even if she loses or is at a disadvantage. Canonically, she's a friend of Cheryl's, but in Traveler, is also friend of Erika. Her energetic nature is almost a little too much, accord to the animate. However, if talked to in the postgame, it's revealed she enjoys good cooking, but it's unknown if she herself cooks. However, Gardinia is revealed to be rather timid, as she is scared of the old château and refuses to go inside. With her passion for grass types, its no surprise Gardenia becomes a vessel. In the Traveler universe, she once traveled to Alola and begin the Vessel of one of its guardians. She holds great power, but since the regions are far away, she lets the guardian do as it pleases unless she really needs its help (or vice versa). In Gracie's story, the Gym Leader has a friendly battle, which Gracie ends up winning. The two ask about what Gracie saw in the old château, but unfortunately the Gym Leader has no information.

It seems I need to continue on towards the next city, but there was one last thing to do.

And that is to rescue some people who have been kidnapped.

It appears the bike shop owner and some Pokémon have been kidnapped by Galactic, and Gracie is the only one who can get them back. Trees block my way, but thanks to the Cut HM I got earlier, they are easily cleared.

Also, Gracie has an encounter with a Stunky, a Pokémon that now resists all of her attacks, since I forgot Return for Calm Mind. Luckily, I'm strong enough that two Magical Leaf attacks take it out… It does manage to weaken me a bit, though.

Nothing else gives me problems, though, and I make it to the end.

Although something else does.

Jupiter.

Jupiter is one of the commanders, working together with Mars. She is often on the front line, but the two do not like each other. She also dislikes Charon, leaving with Mars when he tries to form a new team. Jupiter is also a little bit more aggressive than Mars, as noted by her battle quotes. In the animate, she wished she had been chosen as the protector of the lake guardians, but instead the main protagonists had been chosen instead. Jupiter was also shown to be competent enough to capture Looker, and get away from the protagonists. However, she's not so lucky when she fights at the Spear Pillar, and Cynthia manages to capture her.

In both the games and the manga, she appears up the lakes, capturing Uxie. She is also facing off against many different protagonist that the Spear Pillar and proving to be a tough opponent. Thankfully, the protagonists are able to work together to defeat her. She is fiercely loyal to Cyrus, and when he becomes trapped in the Distortion World, she says off to rescue him. After he disbands the team, Cyrus offers to take Jupiter with him. She accepts, and heads off with some of the other commanders.

Overall, I don't have an opinion on Jupiter. I do find some of her traits interesting, such as wishing she had been chosen, how competent of about who she is, and her ability to actually capture law enforcement. Other than that, she shares a lot of the same traits as Mars, including the streak of cruelty and her fierce loyalty to Cyrus. Which is odd, considering they dislike each other.

Similar to Mars though she may be, Jupiter is by far the more dangerous.

And that's because of a Pokémon called Skuntank. Skuntank is the evolved form of Stunky, is much more powerful than its predecessor, and has much better moves. To compare, her first Pokémon, a Zubat, goes down easily.

Skunktank, however, barely takes any damage from Magical Leaf.

Instead, it tears through Gracie's fragile defenses with Night Slash, destroying her instantly.

Again, I'm not sure how I would write this. Maybe Gracie retreats at the last second to heal, or maybe someone saves her. It could be Looker, considering he meets the player at the beginning of the dungeon, but maybe not.

But I do know I have a way out of this fight.

And it involves the new technique I picked up.

Calm Mind.

Jupiter might have a Zubat with physical attacks, but I can't imagine doing too much damage. Therefore, my plan is to use Calm Mind until my stats can't go any higher, and then attack both Pokémon.

Unfortunately, my plans don't work as well as I'd hoped. Zubat uses up a lot of my healing items, nearly destroying Gracie with Bite. I finally do get it down, but had have taken some damage. Unfortunately, Night Slash lands a critical hit, still defeating Gracie instantly.

I have one less thing to try.

Zubat does about 20 damage per turn with Bite. I will always end the battle injured. However, I can use Wish to heal myself before the next opponent. Then at least I stand a better chance… Increasing defenses doesn't really help, because critical hits tear through those…

So I try my strategy again, make sure I have Wish set up and many healing items ready. I do a lot of damage with Magical Leaf, and think that Skuntank will attack back…

But instead, it uses Smokescreen.

I find decision baffling, seeing as Magical Leaf always hits. Nevertheless, I attack, and Skuntank heals itself with a berry. Skuntank barely survives another attack… I brace for a Night Slash…

Which doesn't critical.

Gracie survives about half HP, and wins the fight at last.

I wonder how this scene will be written… Perhaps, Jupiter tries to get away, and Gracie chases her… And as soon as she chases her, Jupiter is forced to fight back, cornered…

It would make sense, considering how the fight went…

Nevertheless, I finally win, and my reward is a bicycle with access to the next city.

Also, Cynthia gives me a Pokémon Egg that will hatch into a Togepi. I'm not using, but I will hatch the Egg anyway. Perhaps Gracie is reminded of Alice, and this frustrated that no one has picked her them… The next route is to the east, but I've already cleared out the trainers there, so that all that's left is to proceed into Mount Coronet. Mount Coronet is divided into about four different parts, so I can only access one of them now. It's just a straight shot, other than rock smash.

Except it looks like I can't access it yet. I need another HM, Strengh, in order to get through.

So my only choice is to go through Cycling Road. Luckily, the bike isn't fast enough that I have to slow the game down…

However, the opponents are difficult. A critical hit from a Staravia's Quick Attack and a Ponyta's Ember injures Gracie, forcing her to heal. Luckily, I still have a lot of healing items… A lot of foes are bird Pokémon that have Quick Attack, so I definitely need them…

Luckily, the path is short, so I take some time to battle some Hikers and grab some berries.

I should mention that this also holds an entrance to another area; Wayward Cave. Wayward Cave has two entrances. One is normal, but the other is hidden behind the bike path. The hidden contains a rare Pokémon called Gible.

It also contains a lost little girl named Mira. Mira is younger than the rest of the cast, and has gotten lost in the cave. She needs the players up to get out, and if they agreed to help her, she will keep their Pokémon healed. Like the others, she will show up as both a partner and an opponent after the main game is was cleared. In the anime, she is shown to be a bit mischievous, tried to use Dawn's Pokémon for her own purposes. However, it was also revealed that Mira was looking for a missing Pokémon that she lost when she was younger. After the others helped her reunite with this Pokémon, she teleports them all to the next city.

I am not sure how the protagonist of Usurping or Gracie would meet Mira, but I do know that she'll probably be injured and scared, and Cheryl will take care of her. Cheryl considers taking Mira on as a ward, but decides not to, believing that it would be cruel to take away the freedom of someone who is only crime was to be underage, terrified, and naïve. Cheryl does note that Mira has some issues with malnutrition and dehydration, suggesting that she's not getting along on the journey as well as she seemed. Cheryl also thinks that these are mistakes that other Trainers could easily and wonders what defines when it is justified to take award versus when it is not.

Cheryl explains the system of the wards to Gracie, and Gracie finds herself wondering the same questions. She understands important freedom is to trainers, and now some are prepared. But there are also many who are not, and there is a need to protect them. Gracie asks what happened to Mira and Cheryl replies from what she heard, she begin the ward of a man named Riley after nearly dying in Iron Island. From what she knows, Riley is pretty strict, so she's not sure if the two get along. But at least she knows Mira is safe and able to journey.

And so ends the investigation of the cave, as I head back to the south. The south connects to Oreburgh, and can be traversed back and forth via bicycle. I decide to take a quick rest here, and end the update.

So another major story and a very long update. With this, the first quarter of the game is cleared, and I'm all set to head out for the third Badge. And then I'm in another large city, one that I have a lot to talk about…


	34. Heart's Home

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! So this is the first chapter after the real-life time skip! As this chapter will detail, several things have changed or have been given more detail. As a result, some chapters after the time skip will be longer than what is typically seen (for this story, or otherwise). Regardless, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **34\. Heart's Home**

 **Day 33 (September 22, 2019): Sinnoh**

So, after a year and a half break, Gracie's story finally resumes! Why so long of a break?

Because of one monumental development.

Holly Rising has at last finished!

Holly Rising, for those unaware or who may not remember, is the first story in the Traveler series, and was started in late 2017. It was part of a group writing, meaning it had different formatting than most of my other stories, as well as many breaks in publishing. Because those breaks would be long and I wanted to continue with the series, I wrote several other stories. The stories included this one, but these stories got left by the wayside when Holly Rising's group writing started up. When it started up for the last time, it was with the intention to go to the end. With that in mind, going to the end is exactly what I did. After writing the story out in its entirety, I ported it to my regular writing sites to be with my other ones. In June of 2019, that all was finally accomplished.

But then the left a massive amount of stories that had been left incomplete because of it.

One of which is this story.

There were others as well, such as another, but much shorter, log in Traveler called Ghostly Goals. A second story wasn't completely related to Traveler, but more of a backstage pass to many gaming and writing projects that I had done. It started out as a blog, but was then ported over as an actual story by the name of Scrapbook. Still another story wasn't one at all, instead just being log with bullet points but painstakingly detailing a game that I did for something else. Still another was just a standalone commentary and log of a game, resulting in a short chapter story known as Return.

With all this time passing, the Pokémon series itself has changed as well. There has been a release of some new Pokémon games called Let's Go: Pikachu and Let's Go: Eevee. These games are remakes of Pokémon Yellow, but also have mechanics of the mobile spinoff Pokémon Go. While they do refine the dialogue of the games, and add in a few new scenarios, there's very little in the way of new characters. I have integrated these games completely into Traveler, but since there is not much in the way of new content lore wise, they will not be discussed here. Anyone interested in learning about the two games and my reactions to them should check out the short chapter story Return, which is a log focusing only on those games, and without any additional story.

Another is the announcement of and new information about the games Pokémon Sword and Shield. Pokémon Sword and Shield are the next generation of Pokémon games, to be released for the Nintendo Switch in November of 2019. There is a chance that Gracie's story will still be going on by the time these games are released. If that is the case, I will include them here. They will be included in the Traveler series regardless.

Which brings me to my next point.

What to do when Gracie _isn't_ in a game, or a game cannot be played.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are the first of the traditional Pokémon games where every Pokémon existing at the time of the games' release will not be able to be used in the game. What this means is that Pokémon that are not listed in the regional Pokédex of the games will not be allowed into them at all. Instead, it's been said Pokémon will rotate in and out of games, with each set of games having a different mix of old and new Pokémon. However, all Pokémon would be able to be accessed via an online storage system called Pokémon Home. Pokémon within Pokémon Home will be able to be transferred in between appropriate games as much as the player wishes. Currently, Gracie's evolution line is confirmed to be in Pokémon Sword and Shield, so there's no issue there. However, there could still be an issue for future games. Another place where that issue pops up is side games. One of the major changes in Traveler is that many side games and materials of have been fully incorporated to the best of my ability. However, due to these games being spinoffs, they typically do not have every Pokémon that existed at the time of release in them.

All of this can easily create a problem.

The problem being that the Traveler series uses all main regions together, and has none of the limitations that the games have. Therefore, not only is it possible for the Traveler series to have everything in all the main regions in one place, but there's no reason for that not to happen, other than a story being created before a new region has released. Side regions are a bit of a different story, because information about them is often much more limited or difficult to implement plot wise. But it's still the same thing with what _can_ be implemented.

That leaves Gracie with two options.

One is to simply have her skip over the regions, with her finding out they are not relevant to her quest. She could still hear of them from people who live there, and resolve to go to the places later. Any regions that will be skipped will be visited in later books anyway. The second option is to have her visit the regions anyway, but to create a separate storyline from the games played. Any of the separate storylines would then be included in the actual story this one is based on (currently called Angel). The second option would make more sense in Traveler's universe, but it may be difficult to write… Regardless, it marks one of many of the major changes in the series itself.

That's right, with all of the stories completed and even expanded on, a lot of the story elements for the series overall have changed as well. Some story elements have been kept, others have been expanded upon, still others have changed but are still inspired by their original, and there are things that have been thrown out completely. Unfortunately, there are far too many changes to list here, so I will just list some of the major changes affecting Gracie's story.

Most notably, Gracie and the Mold Breaker do meet and recognize each other when they interact during the story, although their interactions are brief and they don't know each other very well. The Mold Breaker is also a completely honest and much less volatile person with newer versions of her, as opposed to being a similar but repentant version of the person in Holly Rising's timeline. Guns have quite a more active role in the series overall, and Gracie is as not surprised when she first hears one. Alice is no longer raised by Gracie in the new version of the story, although she still gives birth to her. Instead, Gracie becomes Alice's surrogate mother out of compassion for Meredith, and Professor Pine is given the resulting Pokémon egg.

Gracie no longer rescues Holly from Team Rocket, although there might be something else going on in Celadon at the time that causes Gracie to help out. Rosalie is no longer the angel that Gracie sees, although she is still deceased and in Heaven. Instead, that role is given to someone else and it's not known if Rosalie will be mentioned at all in Gracie's story. Gracie's experiences with possession are different, done by a different character but with a similar concept. Cheryl no longer is a traveling companion in future books, although she is still slated to possibly play a major role. As such, Mira no longer trains under Riley, and Cheryl does not mention it. Several events have been moved to different parts of the timeline, such as Eusine already being Champion without Kristine's help. Finally, Pokémon Stadium 2 will not be used in any way. The game itself is outdated, and that has currently influenced my decision to not do any more with it. However, the game's location, White City, still remains a place that can be visited in Traveler. There are still many battles there, and Gracie made just watch a few.

These are just some of the changes, and there is probably still more I missed.

Nevertheless, it's finally time for a Gracie episode! Off to the third city, Hearthome!

Quickly, I head north of Oreburgh and near the other part of Mount Coronet.

But the trip will not be easy.

There's an annoying Chimchar and Pachirisu combo who knock out all Gracie's partners… I manage to get at least some experience, but it is difficult…

On the other hand, I get the Vs. Seeker, which I can use to have Trainers battle me again and again. I think I will test it out this run, if only to have Gracie's partners evolve…

And I quickly figure out a few things. One is that one of the Geodude knows Self-Destruct and greatly weakens Gracie.

But the other is that keeping the battle on set is not the best idea when training… Set mode makes it so an opponent will send out a Pokémon immediately when one of theirs falls… On a solo, that makes things faster… Unfortunately, when training a partner, that means that Gracie does not have time to switch back into the partner before the next Pokémon appears… This leads to a situation where there is a Nosepass that uses Block to force my Pokémon in… And that Pokémon happens to be the Bidoof I'm training as a partner… So needless to say, some of the effort goes to waste, as Bidoof is defeated with no way of revival… Eventually, however, I do get it up to a high enough level to evolve into a Bibarel… So that saves me the hassle of catching one later…

Also, Togepi hatches here… Not like I'll be using it, so I put it away…

And another Cyrus sighting… He talks about how the world was ruined by conflict, and that there should have been none in his quest to eliminate spirit… I honestly cannot wait for a proper introduction, but I will have to…

Also I get the Berry Searcher app… One of the most useful, because I forget where my berries are… Unfortunately, I won't be using it much this run, because I won't be using berries…

And off to Hearthome, one of my most enjoyed places in the games… It looks really pretty, and there's lots of little quests I can do there… Not to mention, the Gym Leader, Fantina, is one of my favorites…

I may as well talk about the first of the quests: Amity Square.

Amity Square is an interesting place that's also completely optional. What makes it worth noting is that it is the first instance of the games allowing people to walk around with their Pokémon since Pokémon Yellow and Pikachu in the original Kanto games. The species of Pokémon one can walk with is extremely limited, though, and if one doesn't have the correct species, the area cannot be entered. Additionally, despite looking great and having good music, Amity Square is fairly useless. It's the only area where the player can get the Amulet Coin to double their money at the end of battles. However, Amity Square can be difficult to navigate and the game can easily be played without the Amulet Coin. This, combined with the fact that neither Gracie nor her partners are allowed in causes me to skip the place entirely. Amity Square will still feature in Traveler, but it's not known what role it will play. What is known is that all Pokémon will be allowed in, both because of the increased number of Pokémon and the fact that cuteness is subjective. With that in mind, maybe Gracie will decide to visit the area anyway.

There are a few other places of interest too. One is giant houses made specifically for small children and Pokémon to traverse, something which can be found nowhere else. Gracie might be a little interested in how the architecture works, and the type of people living there. She probably wouldn't stay long, though, as there isn't much there for travelers. The Fan Club is also here, and I imagine that Gracie would have some notoriety by now. So maybe she would be swarmed by fans… There's also a building that looks like a church, and it's one of the few (if one of the only) areas in the game were no music will ever play at all. It's rather creepy, and I think Gracie would find it the same… I'm not sure if she would have any other reactions, though, or how the inhabitants would react to her. They might have some reaction because Gardevoir is often associated with angels. However, angels and churches are often associated with another character, so that association may not be made here.

But there is one last part worth noting.

And that is Pokémon Contests.

Pokémon Contests return from the Hoenn games, and they are a shadow of their former selves.

Starting with how the player prepares.

Berries are still used for contests, but instead of Pokéblocks, players make something called Poffins. Unlike with Pokéblocks, Poffins can be bought at stores. However, they are always inferior to ones players can make themselves. To create a Poffin, a player must put in a berry, and that berry becomes part of the Poffin batter. That begins a stirring minigame, where a player must be careful to stir in the right direction and at the right speed. Messing this up causes the player to either spill or burn the batter, which lowers the quality of the Poffin that results. Lower quality Poffins do not increase contest stats as much, and a Pokémon can only eat a certain amount of Poffins before they can never eat any more.

On the surface, this sounds like the same thing as the previous iterations of Contests.

But taking a closer look, it's anything but.

And that is because of _how_ things are executed.

Poffin making exclusively uses the touchscreen, with no option to switch the controls to buttons. This can make the whole process very finicky, and almost impossible for anyone that has issues using touch controls. These types of players have to rely on store-bought or otherwise inferior products through no fault of their own, and no way of getting around it (aside from transferring Pokémon with acceptable Contest stats from Hoenn).

Another huge issue is how multiplayer and the rewards system is handled. In the original Hoenn games, if less than four players were available to blend berries, computer players would take their place. These computer players would add own berries, and the type of berry added would differ depending on what the player used. So the game would always act like there were four people creating the items, and the player can still get high-quality ones while playing alone. In Sinnoh, if three or less players decide to make Poffins, no one else will join. The issue with that is the highest amount and quality products are only available if four players play. So anyone who is playing alone or with less than four players will be stuck with a low amount of and low-quality products no matter what. While it's still possible to win Contests in this scenario, it is much more difficult. The system effectively punishes those who can't play with three other human players, and for various reasons, this can easily be something out of a player's control.

But my problems with Contests don't end there.

Because there are still many with the Contests themselves.

Contests themselves have been extended. In addition to the appeal round and primary judging rounds returning from previous iterations, two new rounds have been added. These rounds are the dress-up round and the dance round. In the dress-up round, players must decorate their Pokémon with accessories found throughout the game. The accessories must also match the theme of the contest, and that theme differs with each rank. There is a time limit of 60 seconds, and higher-ranked contests allow people to put on more accessories. Once time runs out, players are judged based on what their Pokémon dressed up with.

The second new round features a rhythm game. Players must touch different buttons with the stylus to make Pokémon dance. There is a main dancer, and the others are backup dancers. Each Pokémon receives its own turn as the main dancer. However, the main dancer's purpose is to make dances as complicated as possible so that the backup dancers will make mistakes. Every time a Pokémon makes mistakes, points are deducted from the overall Contest total and the event itself. Matching the lead dancer very well earns more points.

While these events sound like fun, they actually have a lot of problems. One of the biggest ones with the dress-up is that it is timed. The fact that more accessories are also rewarded during higher-ranked contests means that players are expected to use them all. Opponents in the higher ranks will always have the Pokémon optimized much as they can.

And that means they flaunt combinations that the player will have a lot of difficulty doing or outright cannot do within the time limit.

Meaning that the player is once again penalized for something that can be out of their control.

It also doesn't help that accessories are often acquired randomly after doing certain things (such as walking in Amity Square). It makes it very difficult to get what the player needs, while the high-level opponents will always have the best. Additionally, everything is done by touchscreen, and that presents the same issues as with the Poffin making. The dance part doesn't have as many issues, but it is based on speed. So anyone that has issues with speed will have difficulty competing in the higher levels, and as always, said issue may not be in the player's control.

Overall, the new areas in Contests were meant to extend and improve on them, but didn't completely succeed (if they succeeded at all). I can only hope that an eventual remake refines the Contests, because the Hoenn ones did a good job of that. Until then, I can only lament how such an interesting and enjoyable mechanic in the previous games fell so flat in these ones…

Despite my dislike, I still have to enter the Contest Hall. Because Fantina, the Gym Leader, is here.

Speaking of Fantina, now would be a good time to talk about her.

Fantina is a cheerful, if eccentric, Ghost Type user. She comes from a foreign region, peppering her dialogue with French, and also not always speaking English correctly. In some versions of the game, the French is changed to English and the English is made more broken, but the effect is still there. In media where she is voiced, Fantina often has a heavy French accent. This later made fans suspect she was from Kalos, a region that is based off of France. However, there is no evidence officially for that. Fantina is also incredibly good at Contests, and can challenge the player if they've made it to the highest Contest rank. She sees battle as a big performance, often breaking out into dance moves. In the anime, she's often away from her Gym, honing her skills as a performer and Contest star. Her abilities in Contests are shown even more clearly, with her being a judge in some cases. It's also implied that she is older than some of the other Gym Leaders, but there's no official evidence supporting or denying that.

Fantina's probably one of my favorite characters. In a series where most Ghost Type users are creepy, eccentric, or just off the walls, Fantina is lighthearted, extremely friendly, and hilarious. It's quite a refreshing change from what is usually seen, and really makes her character stand out. In addition, she is one of the few Gym Leaders that is clearly shown to have a life and career outside of her Gym, and having to balance that career with her Gym duties. It makes her a much more realistic, believable, and developed character compared to a lot of the cast. Additionally, the idea of Fantina being foreign and coming from Kalos is an excellent one, because it not only links all the regions together, but was also the first time the possibility of someone coming from another region that wasn't shown in the same game they appeared in was ever explored.

Which is why she will play a role in Traveler.

Most of the specifics of what role Fantina will play is not currently known, but it is known that she will be originally from Kalos. Gracie asks her about the spirit in the Burned Tower, and explains what happened. Fantina mentions that Ghost Type Trainers have been investigating, but none have been able to glean any information or get the spirit to pass on to whatever afterlife is there. Nevertheless, she finds what Gracie says is troubling, and promises to continue investigating and helping. She may also mention of eventually going to Diantha of Kalos, the latter's relationship with Gardevoir, and Gracie not yet unlocking her true power. However, Gracie doesn't know what she means by that, but promises she will find Diantha when she gets to Kalos.

In Usurping's timeline, she has some relationship with the protagonist due her constantly using Ghost Pokémon, and is the first person to notice that she has spirits of the restless dead hanging around her. The protagonist is at first terrified, but Fantina assures her that the spirits are not malicious, that they only want to watch her more closely after they died, and only for a set period of time. This brings some relief, but the protagonist is still weirded out and wonders if she's done something wrong. Since Holly Rising's timeline doesn't really involve Sinnoh, Fantina's not slated to play a role there. However, that could still change in the future.

With all that being said, it's time to finally enter the Gym.

In this Gym, Trainers have to navigate through darkness with flashlights. They have to battle other Trainers along the way, all of them looking for a mat with a design on it. Once the player finds the design, they have to go through a door with the same design. Going to the right door advances them to the next room, but going to the wrong one sends them back to the start. It's a simple, but effective, puzzle. It also sets the tone perfectly because in addition to being in darkness with little light and looking for a specific object, there are also skull-like designs that seem to glow a bit. It adds to the level to the level of spookiness without going overboard, and I always thought it was like a cool little trick on Halloween.

Gracie might be a bit uncomfortable about moving through the darkness and all of the spooky designs. She would also be on her toes, since the place is rather narrow in most cases. Gracie would be familiar with how to proceed, though, since using a flashlight to navigate through a dark area is similar to how she is stated to use Flash. She would also be familiar with her own weakness to Ghost Types, and be wary of them. Traveler would probably also examine the consequences of having Trainers navigate in the dark through a narrow area, such as Trainers banging into each other and getting lost. There might be something in place for that, such as participants being allowed to help each other if someone falls or gets injured, but they are all watched, and no one can help each other with the puzzle. Anyone who does is considered cheating, and faces appropriate consequences.

As for how to work the Gym into the story, maybe Fantina sees that Gracie is a possible Contest star, and wants to see her perform. However, since having Gracie perform in the Contests would detract from her mission, Fantina instead invites her to the Gym to perform there instead. The performance would be clearing the puzzle and defeating every Gym Trainer, with a battle against Fantina at the end. If Gracie puts on a stellar performance, she will be able to tell Fantina about her situation and ask for advice.

Which means it's time for Gracie to put on that performance.

Luckily, the ghosts are not that tough. Most of them are either weak to Psychic Type moves (the Gastly line) or have low defenses (everything else). They go down in one or two hits, and most don't even do any damage. To emphasize this further, Gracie picks up the move Psychic along the way, replacing Confusion. I will have to be careful though, as Psychic has half the uses of my previous move.

As for the puzzle itself, it is also not that tough. I swear that it is darker since I'm not playing on a native system, but it could just be my imagination. Regardless, I have to tread carefully and move slowly to make sure I'm not heading into the wrong door. Despite this, I still get lost on the floors and accidentally head forward into the wrong door anyway. At least it's easy to retrace my steps…

But with one final healing, I'm now against Fantina.

And I'm expecting her to be a different story than the battles before.

At first, that isn't the case. Fantina sends out Duskull, and it does a little bit of damage with Shadow Sneak. However, that doesn't stop Gracie from taking it out in one hit with Psychic anyway. Fantina's next Pokémon is Mismagius. Mismagius is her strongest Pokémon, has high resistance to the special attacks that Gracie has, and can do a lot of damage.

I'm bracing myself for a close fight.

But that close fight never comes.

Instead, Gracie depletes half of Mismagius's health with a Psychic. Shadow Ball does some damage in retaliation, but it doesn't even knock Gracie down to half health. Gracie easily finishes the fight with another Psychic. The final Pokémon, Haunter, is one that it's weak to Psychic. Gracie destroys it before it can even act.

With that, Gracie has put on a spectacular performance, one that would clearly impress Fantina. Perhaps being in the dark with the Ghost Pokémon would have her learn how to combat them by understanding their weaknesses. Regardless, she flies through the fight much easier than I expected, and the next Badge is mine.

With that, I can finally leave Hearthome, having officially settled back into this story.

But I don't want to get too comfortable, because there's still a lot more ahead.


	35. Finding Solace

**Welcome back to another chapter of Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **35\. Finding Solace**

 **Day 34 (September 26, 2019): Sinnoh**

Finally off to another completely new chapter! Also, I finally have a document detailing the names of the chapters and what order they go in. It should much easier if I need to take a long break again. Maybe Gracie does decide to use the journal received at the beginning of the game…

Regardless, it's off to the next town with gusto!

Well, after another fight with Barry.

Except it isn't much of one.

All of his team falls to Psychic instantly, aside from Buizel, who is destroyed by Magical Leaf instead. Hilariously, I forgot to heal up and entered the battle with only about half my HP and some of Psychic depleted. It wasn't even an issue because I didn't even take any damage… Maybe Gracie just gets ambushed before she has time to heal… It would definitely make sense for Barry's character to do that… Regardless, I quickly run back to heal before moving on.

The next route appears to be a popular fishing place, with me obtaining the Good Rod here. There's also quite a few people talking, but they will only challenge me in the morning. Unfortunately, I'm a little bit past with the game considers morning, so they won't battle me now even if I speak to them. They're not that tough anyway, so it's not much of a loss. Maybe Gracie decides to fish and jog with the people there to become more fit and relax a bit. It would make a nice contrast, since she was trying to hurry through a giant city previously. I also attach the Shell Bell to Gracie at this point over the Quick Claw. She's faster than most of the opponents at this point, and can take most hits. The Shell Bell will give her some form of recovery, because she can't learn a healing move naturally and has to rely items taking up a turn otherwise.

Some Ranchers are here as well. It's the first encounter with these types of Trainers, but they appear in other areas too. I imagine Gracie would have some sort of reaction to them. Perhaps she would be reminded of Whitney, or wish she could ride in one of the ranch's Pokémon. Considering what will eventually be coming up, that wish isn't too far from reality…

Speaking of ranches, there is one character I forgot to mention before. That character's name is Bebe. She's the creator of the storage system in the Sinnoh games, and is friends with Bill. Bebe has one of the latter's Eevee, and will give it to the player if they come visit her house. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, beating the Elite Four was also required, but that requirement was removed in Platinum. Bebe is close friends with a Trainer named Hailey, and Hailey owns a ranch. If the player purchased a game called My Pokémon Ranch, the goal would be to assist Hailey in filling up the Ranch with Pokémon. The player did this by transferring Pokémon that they captured in the main games to the ranch. Once there, the Pokémon could interact with the player and be seen in 3-D. If enough Pokémon were transferred, Hailey would offer specific ones in trades. These trades sometimes contained rare and powerful Pokémon, with the last Pokémon being the mythical one Mew.

It was one of the few ways players could get this highly sought after Pokémon, since Mew was otherwise limited to real-life events. So one would think the game was very popular. Unfortunately, whether it was because of overly basic gameplay or just bad marketing, the game didn't sell very well at all. Hailey herself also didn't do much outside of her home game, and never appeared again afterward. So I don't really have an opinion on her. However, I'm considering making her a powerful Trainer thanks to some of her Pokémon being legendary, and her ability to take care of many Pokémon at once. I don't really have an opinion on Bebe either, so I'm not sure what she will do in Traveler.

Regardless, it's time to keep going.

There is a Trainer dressed up as a Pikachu, and I believe this is the first encounter with the type of Trainer. Unlike the Trainer types similar to this before, this Trainer takes the same sprite as a Pikachu, and pretends to be a Pokémon when talked to. They can still be battled normally, though, exposing their true identity. Gracie may find the whole thing odd, stating that no matter what, they're still not a Pokémon. I find the whole thing funny, even though I found it strange originally.

The reason I find it funny is that there is a fan creation called Pokémon Zeta and Omicron. In these games, the player could eventually gain the option to dress up as a Pikachu or a Gardevoir. The sprite would show up properly in most cases, and the player would look like the Pokémon they were dressed up as completely. Additionally, if the player used something to increase movement, like a bicycle, the bicycle would never show up in the player would just look like they were flying through whatever area they were in at superspeed. It was particularly funny if the player dressed up as Gardevoir, since levitating in the air and then flying through it at maximum speed is something Gardevior could reasonably do… Maybe it's something Gracie would try…

Anyway, there's not much else here at the moment. The Hallowed Tower is in this area, and it looks like a giant pile of differently colored rocks. If the player has fulfilled the requirements to capture Spiritomb, interacting with the tower will put them into battle with it. Since I have not fulfilled the requirements and can't fit it in the course of this run, there's nothing I can do with it. However, Gracie might still be interested though, as the tower is pretty conspicuous. Perhaps she would still have an encounter with Spiritomb, depending on how much time she's been spending underground in the story. Even if she doesn't, she'll definitely run afoul of it later.

There's another area called the Lost Tower that I can enter now. However, I'm going to refrain from doing so until little while later. As it is, the place is difficult to get through, and I cannot clear the area entirely until I get something else. So instead I just move forward.

And before I know it, I'm at Solaceon.

Despite not having a Gym, the small town is still notable for several reasons. One reason has to do with a repeatable side quest. In the house next to the Pokémon Center, the player can encounter a man trying to write newspaper articles. However, in order to publish his daily article, the player needs to show him a Pokémon he requests. If the particular Pokémon is in the player's party, the man will reward them with a Heart Scale. If the man requests a Pokémon the player does not have and they have not saved after talking to him, the player can simply reset the game to have him request a different Pokémon. This is notable because it's a very good way to get Heart Scales, which can otherwise be difficult to find. Due to this run not having a lot of Pokémon and not really needing Heart Scales, I won't really be using this service. But Gracie may just decide to run some errands for the man anyway, because I've used said service a lot in other runs. Maybe Gracie would just befriend the Pokémon instead…

The next thing worth noting is the Daycare. It's the same as in other games, but there is a slight change that makes it easier to use. After a player leaves a Pokémon with the Daycare couple for the first time, they can come back and received the Daycare app for the Pokétech. This is probably one of the most useful apps, as it shows what Pokémon are in the Daycare, what level they are, and when they produce an egg provided the two are compatible. It's useful because people don't have to constantly stay by the Daycare if they are breeding and ask the couple how many levels the Pokémon has gained. While the Johto remakes did have a variant that allowed the daycare couple to call the player if they had an egg, this variant didn't have any of the other details the app displays, and said app has never come back. It's a shame, because it allows the player to do other things while breeding, something that every other game of the series doesn't really allow for. Regardless, it's not something Gracie would use, but she probably would think of Alice.

The third notable thing is something called Seals. Seals are designs that can be put on a Poké Ball, and when the Pokémon within is sent out in battle, the designs will create little extra animations that occur alongside it. Starting with this town, a player can find Seals and store them using a Seal Case. From that point on, they can use the Seals to customize their Poké Balls however they want. The catch is that Pokémon with Seals cannot be put into a PC until the Seals are removed. Since the game doesn't save Seal designs, the player then has to put the Seals back on manually. Furthermore, other than allowing some customization, the Seals aren't used for anything in the game. So they're cute, but useless. Not something Gracie would use either.

But one thing that Gracie would be involved in is the Solaceon Ruins.

Solaceon Ruins is an optional area, but completing it makes certain parts of the game much easier to traverse. It's a place where there are constantly stairs heading downward, the area has a bluish tint, and it looks like there's almost some kind of fog. It also the only place in the game where one can find the Pokémon Unown. Considering the other ruins area where Unown can be found, I'm not sure if this place is meant to be serene or scary. Judging by the calm music, it's probably the former… I imagine that Gracie might think it's a mixture thereof…

Anyway, I'm here for one reason only.

In a large room, I find it.

The move Defog.

Defog is fairly useless in battle, and while it can be used in the overworld, it is not required to beat the game. However, should the player to choose to use it, some areas become a lot more manageable, and some side areas accessible. Seeing as this gives me an advantage, I quickly teach it to Gracie's partner Starly, and head out.

That's all there is to do in the town, but there's one more area to explore before I move on.

With that, I rapidly head to the area I skipped over before.

And that area is the Lost Tower.

The Lost Tower is notable for two reasons. One is that it's the Pokémon graveyard seen in most games.

The other is that it's the player's first encounter with fog. I would say that fog is the most annoying weather condition, both inside and outside of battle. Outside of battle, it makes it very difficult for the player to see and navigate, even if an object is directly in front of them. This gets even worse in that the areas that have fog are often long and winding. Thus, having sight is often extremely useful. Inside of battle, fog makes it so that any move that does not have guaranteed accuracy can hit only a maximum of 50% of the time. This effect applies to anyone on the field, and accuracy can still be raised or lowered. Regardless, fog can make for some unnecessarily long battles, and can severely limit what moves can be used. Luckily, as of this writing, the Sinnoh games on the only ones that use it. Maybe the developers realized how annoying it was, and decided to make sure never came back.

Regardless, it's time to get rid of it now.

A quick use of Defog does the trick.

Now I can actually explore the area.

Speaking of exploring, since this is a burial ground, it's likely Gracie will encounter a ghost. Deep fog surrounding ghosts or areas where they are often indicates maliciousness or restlessness. So this ghost will probably be malicious. I can think of a few candidates, but I don't have anything confirmed. One would be the spirit from the Burned Tower, the spirit that possessed Gracie before with her updated version, or Zinnia (alongside her Pokémon), whose fate was changed so that she does not survive the events of Mold Breaker. However, it's not exactly known when her death takes place in relation to Gracie's story, or how it coincides with it. So I'm not sure how that will work.

There's some other candidates too, such as someone just being terrified of something that's going to happen in the future or trying to warn Gracie of it. One of these spirits could be Levi from Kanto's Pokémon Tower, Zinnia's daughter, Aster, or any other of the protagonist of Usurping's dead Pokémon. If this was used, the tone of the encounter would change, but she would still find it and possible possession unpleasant.

Also, it probably would be Fantina helping her out this time, since she's stated to be a regular visitor in the games. I'm not entirely sure how though, since Fantina's more eccentric than Phoebe. If the spirit is Zinnia, she might tell Gracie the story of how the former died, and bitterly comment on how Zinnia has avoided being dragged to eternal hell. Fantina will comment it's probably because of jealousy or the fact that she brainwashed herself, prompting Gracie to ask more. However, Zinnia's death requires that certain information be known, and in Gracie's previous adventures, people act like the information is not known. So either people comment on what it was like not knowing the information and the effects said information had when it was finally revealed, with Gracie's journey taking place later than anticipated.

If it is the spirit from the Burned Tower, Fantina will witness firsthand what happens with her, but will still be unsure for what is. The second option has nothing to do with Zinnia's death, so it doesn't matter what information most characters know. If the first option is chosen, another character may be introduced here, but the character is an original one and not much is known about her yet. It's worth noting that Zinnia's backstory isn't entirely fleshed out yet either, hence why it's not detailed here outside of her first mention. In order for Zinnia's death and reappearance here to work, the characters have to know all of her backstory. But since not all the backstory is known, I'm unsure if a second appearance will make sense in Gracie's story at this point.

Or maybe the backstory doesn't _need_ to be known.

Instead, Gracie could have a _vision_ of Zinnia spirit's terrorizing places, meeting her at this one, and possibly even Zinnia's death. Gracie could _feel_ like she was being possessed by a spirit from the future, but when things return to normal, she finds out everything's fine. Since she doesn't know Zinnia that much, she's not sure what the vision means. So Gracie tells Fantina, and she explains what is known about Zinnia in the present time. This would allow Zinnia's spirit to appear as a form of foreshadowing, instead of forcing the story into the future and completely changing many events alongside where Gracie's story is in the series timeline.

It's worth noting that a fight with a future Zinnia could still happen, but it's not as likely. The first problem is it would seem a bit redundant after the future spirit fight in Lavender. Additionally, Zinnia and her Pokémon are much more powerful than the spirit that's planned to appear in Lavender. As such, they can do a lot more damage in a short amount of time. Furthermore, Fantina would be the only one able to help, and she is not as strong or down-to-earth as Phoebe, and is going up against a more powerful opponent than the latter did. So she probably wouldn't be able to do as much, and a rescue may not be successful. So a plot like this may not work, even though I know something will happen at the tower.

Regardless of what happens, I have to proceed. Luckily, the place is easy, and I'm through it in no time.

Now, to finally proceed to the north.

There is some extremely tall grass and bike paths, but they're not really anything special. What special here is a café that serves Moomoo Milk. This is the best healing item in the game at this point, so I quickly grab about 70 of them. Hopefully, it should hold me for most of the game. Story wise, it also makes sense because Gracie is shown to like Moomoo Milk from her time in Goldenrod. So of course she would want a lot of it, and would probably be missing it. What's also interesting is that the café owner states that they choose only to serve Moomoo Milk, and they're very particular about it. This doesn't seem so noteworthy until one takes into account that there are many people who can't digest dairy or choose not to have it. So those people would not be able to be served in the café at all. Furthermore, since some of the inability to have diary comes from medical conditions, it's possible Pokémon can have that problem too. Official media never address this, but Traveler plans to. Particularly because the main protagonist there cannot have milk… I like to think they would have milk alternatives that would work the same way, but in terms of the official healing item, they're counted as the same. Maybe would be something based on soy milk, harvested with help from Grass Type Pokémon… It would be definitely a worth exploring…

But that's for another time, as I heal and head on to the next route. The next route is fairly long, and it is always raining. Gracie might be annoyed by the rain, but since she's also gone into rainy areas, she probably would be used to it. Maybe she'd carry an umbrella with her, and act like the Trainers who do so. That would be funny, considering said Trainers are also on this route.

It's also worth noting that this road is so long that I often have problems with Power Points and keeping HP up. However, I usually don't heal after the first part with the café, so that may have something to do with it… I wonder if Gracie will have the same problems… The only thing I can do is step out onto the route and see…

It turns out my fears are groundless, as I pick up the TM for Shock Wave in the middle of the route. It is replaces Wish, giving Gracie more attacking Power Points to spend. In terms of moves, thanks to having better healing items and the ability to self-recover, Wish is near useless at this point. Shock Wave, on the other hand, is very useful, even though it will also probably be replaced eventually.

Regardless, with my new move in hand, I head into Veilstone.

Veilstone, while not as big as Hearthome, still has quite a bit to see.

There's a huge department store, well-known in all games in the series. Like others of its kind, the Veilstone department store sells TMs, healing items, and a few odds and ends that can't be found anywhere else. The TMs can help diversify Gracie's moveset, but most of them are very inaccurate. Healing items come in a bit too late, because the Moomoo Milk can be bought shortly before coming here, is a bit cheaper, and covers all of my bases. The normally powerful Lemonade is completely outclassed because of that, and the items more powerful than Moomoo Milk (such as Hyper Potions) are bit too strong for this point. Furthermore, they can be found later on, where Gracie will need them over Moomoo Milk. I don't understand putting Moomoo Milk so close to the huge department store when it makes a lot of the things there obsolete… Gracie does buy Full Heals, though, because I can use them to help out with pesky status problems, and I don't believe they're available normally yet. The other odds and ends involve Secret Base decoration, and I'm not using Secret Bases this run.

The next area of interest is the Game Corner. The Game Corner works like previous iterations, allowing players to win prizes with the games of chance. However, what makes this particularly notable is that this is the last time the Game Corner is seen in full. In the games after this, due to European legal restrictions involving gambling in videogames, the Pokémon developers would either have to increase the rating of the games, make the Game Corner unavailable to European players, or just take it out entirely. So the developers opted to remove Game Corners in future games, instead replacing them with other mini games that did not have the element of luck. Furthermore, if one was playing the European version of the Sinnoh games, the Game Corner would still be mostly removed, with the luck based aspect gone entirely. Since I dislike casinos and never really played at the Game Corner in most of my runs, I don't really care that it's gone. But I know there are quite a few people who do, and I really feel bad for them.

The Traveler series doesn't have to worry about the legal restrictions that the Pokémon developers did. Therefore, casinos are present in every region, and available to everyone regardless of where they are from. However, there are still some rules set in place. Trainers are allowed to gamble at any age, provided that they have proof that they are a Trainer. Casinos have the right to refuse anyone services or outright remove them from the place if someone tries to gamble underage, and is not a Trainer, or otherwise pretends to be one and the ruse is found out. Additionally, gambling is still considered dangerous, especially since many of the Trainers gambling are children. As a result, the dangers of gambling are shown in Traveler, when they're mostly glossed over in official works. People that are of legal adult age can gamble regardless of whether they are Trainers. However, the dangers of gambling still lurk, and these people are required to follow any rules that the casino sets.

As far as the Game Corner story-wise, I'm not interested in it and it has nothing that I need, so I skip past it. Gracie is considered of legal age, but she would probably skip past it as well. Perhaps she remembers what happened with Erika and Holly, or she may have heard some of the tales of gamblers who have fallen from grace. The Pokémon world has a few, and I plan on exploring them in depth…

Something else that's notable is the sinister presence of Team Galactic, guarding what appears to be a warehouse. The warehouse will eventually be a stage for a major showdown much later on, but I have no idea how I'm going to write it. Due to Team Galactic's changed role in Traveler, their presence in the city isn't sinister at all. The warehouse is just a regular, if unusually large, office building, which usually only allows authorized personal in. So a lot of things are changed because of that or could be removed entirely. As of this point, I'm not sure what.

But I am sure one place I'm going next.

The Gym.

And as I step in, I'm reminded of another thing.

This Gym has one of the most frustrating puzzles in the series. One that has me reach for a guide no matter how many times I play the game.

And it all has to do with how it's set up.

At first glance, the puzzle seems simple. All the player has to do is knock floating punching bags into tires by pushing them in different directions. On the way, they will fight Trainers, avoid cracks in the floors and other objects, and clear a path to the Gym Leader. However, the problem is how close everything is to each other. Many of the punching bags are almost overlapping, and the grey tires almost match the poles punching bags hang from. With all this, it's difficult to see what goes where and when to interact with things, and what the player is supposed to. Furthermore, the movement that's limited by various objects and Gym trainers only makes things worse, and makes the player unable to see all of the puzzle.

Thus the puzzle turns out to be extremely difficult, despite looking deceptively simple, probably when it doesn't even need to be difficult.

Thankfully, the Trainers aren't difficult, with each of them going down with only one hit. Maylene doesn't prove to be difficult either. All of her Pokémon also go down one hit. She sends out a Meditite, Machoke, and Lucario, but all of them fall to Psychic.

With the easy win, there's no better time to talk about Maylene.

Maylene is considered very young, but is powerful for her age and considered a prodigy in some cases. She is well loved by her city, but is not that confident in her own skills, also acting confused over why she became a Gym Leader. She is good friends with fellow Gym Leader Candice, and walks through the snow barefoot near the city in order to visit her. She claims it's also part of her training, but is shown not to be used to the cold. In optional event, she's also shown to be someone who eats a lot despite her size and age, partaking in an eating contest and doing fairly well. Additionally, she shown to be skilled athletically, as she will challenge the player in the Pokéathlon competitions if they reach a certain rank. However, it's implied Maylene is living in poverty due to her father's gambling addiction. This is confirmed in Pokémon Special.

The anime explores Maylene's character even more. Namely, it deconstructs what having a powerful yet young person recently rise to power could do. Maylene lacks even more confidence here, having become a recent Gym Leader and unsure what to do. While she is still plenty powerful, the pressure and expectations of the position causes her to become distracted and then stressed. As a result, she embarrassingly and completely loses a match against Paul. She so devastated by the loss that she had first refuses to battle any more challengers. However, Dawn tells her that she has been experiencing losses in her battles as well, and fights Maylene herself. Maylene manages defeat Dawn, allowing other challengers to fight her once again, her confidence restored.

Traveler takes these interpretations a step further, although it's not currently known how. Her having trouble with poverty and her father's gambling addictions will be explored more. However, thanks to the way laws for minor Trainers work in Traveler, she will probably receive help in some form. Maylene's friendship with Candice is preserved as well. However, since Candice's not a Gym Leader in the beginning of Mold Breaker and instead traveling around as a regular Trainer due to her young age, Maylene would be doing the same. However, she would still get a lot of pressure put on her because of her power, and people wanting her to obtain a position of authority. This is despite Maylene being very young and not feeling like she is able to or wants to. At the end of Mold Breaker, Maylene is slated to become a Gym Leader. But given that everything is subject to change, it's not known if this will remain in the final product. Also given that I am not completely where sure Gracie's story goes in the timeline yet, it's not known what Gracie will be doing when she meets her.

The protagonist of Usurping is sympathetic towards Maylene because she also has (or had) to deal with pressure and power at a young age, and having to deal with its crippling effects. She might also see that as the ability to allow young people who are not prepared for position of power as a flaw of the system, and wanting to get reworked. However, she would probably not understand Maylene growing up in poverty as well, because she doesn't come from that background and her family has always been fairly well off. The protagonist of Traveler also has difficulty dealing with the concept of consistently relying on others, because she herself is trying to get to the point where she doesn't have to do that, or has never done so to begin with. It's also worth noting that the protagonist of Usurping dislikes Candice, so it's not known how and if that will play into her relationship with Maylene.

As for my own thoughts about Maylene, she's unfortunately another character I don't particularly like. It's mainly for the same reasons as Flannery, and initially, she seems almost like a copy of her in personality. It's only after seeing Maylene's background expansions that it's revealed this is not exactly the case. With these expansions, she's presented as a realistic character and interesting take on some of the struggles younger and powerful characters face in the world. There's also some struggles that are relatable, such as having to deal with a loved one with addiction and living in poverty. However, one has to either dig deep into the game with side quests or see additional media, like the anime, in order to find this information. Without that information, she's not particularly memorable.

But now that Maylene has been defeated, I can head out of the Gym.

After chasing off the Grunts guarding the warehouse and grabbing Lucas's stolen Pokédex, I finally am able to grab the HM Fly for fast travel. Gracie's partner Starly learns it, and I can finally head out.

However, I will save that for another time. The path to the next Badge is long.


	36. Path Traversed

**Welcome back to another chapter in Diary! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and enjoy!**

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 **36\. Path Traversed**

 **Day 35 (September 28, 2019): Sinnoh**

Onto another Gracie session! This time, to start the game's second half, travel a long road, and meet one of the oddest characters in the entire series…

To start her journey, Gracie actually begins in Hearthome. There are two ways to get into the next city. One is via a new route in Veilstone. Another is using a route to the south of Hearthome that was blocked off previously. I will be doing the route in Hearthome first, and both routes before I actually enter the city.

But it seems I can't access that yet. There is a pair of reporters rudely blocking the way, forcing me to go the other route.

There's not much here, other than some Pokémon with annoying status problems, but it's nothing my new items can handle.

However, I have picked up a new habit.

I have begun watching videos or reading other material while going through the parts of the run that aren't very fast. This also means playing with the volume of the game muted. Originally, when this whole challenge started, I was unable to do that, due to having an Internet with very limited data and not very good speed. But at this point, I currently have a good Internet provider with unlimited data and fairly good speeds. So it's now possible.

I have a feeling this will fit into the story somehow… Perhaps Gracie finds some videos or movies that she likes to watch, or some books she likes to read… Considering I'm currently watching a bit of a terrifying concept where games play themselves, maybe it's something in the horror genre… I can think of another character that might embody this concept as well in the universe, but seeing as the character actually shows up much later, and I'm not sure what said character would do otherwise, I will save the explanation for later. Well, unless I can think of a role for the character that requires that character to appear early. But I can't think of one now. As it is, it will be quite a while before the character is seen…

Anyway, Gracie has now arrived at a lakefront where some reporters are filming. This also means it's not accessible in the game right now, but it will be accessible later. I'm not sure how the inaccessibility will be in the story itself, considering how much has changed… Perhaps Gracie might be curious about the reporters and want to help, if there's any reporters at all.

Traveling south leads to a café, with lots of people inside. These people will have double battles, and will change every day. The player can't have a meal here, but perhaps Gracie might. She'd be seen as odd for not having a partner, but perhaps the people there would understand, or commend her bravery for taking on the battles and the challenge alone… There's also a hotel, but the player character can't stay. Although the hotel is booked, the player is allowed to rest for a short period to restore their Pokémon. I feel like Gracie might be able to stay though, since she could make it there early in the story.

After resting in the hotel, Gracie is headed to the café. The battles are not too difficult, although a lot of the partners to get knocked out. I'm actually able to get all but my second Bidoof to evolve once. The final Pokémon is close, as well. There is actually a problem where I'm switching out partners, and I accidentally put one of in Gracie's slot. As a result, I end up starting the battle with two partners (Bidoof and Kadabra) instead of Gracie herself. However, one of the partners (Bidoof) was knocked out easily, allowing Gracie to come in without really losing much. I'm probably not going to write that in at all, because there's no story context for it. Nevertheless, the battles are done, and I move on.

My next stop is a small beach where child Trainers are playing. Gracie might stop to enjoy playing with them, but that's not mainly what I'm here for. Aside from passing through, there is a strange man called Dr. Footstep. He can apparently judge how happy Pokémon is based on their footsteps, even if they have no footsteps to leave. Once he judges that, he will give a bit of an eccentric verdict. If the Pokémon is happy enough, he will also reward them with a Ribbon. This ribbon has no effect on gameplay other than collection value, however. I always thought this was adorable, in addition to being pretty funny. So Gracie heads there immediately, probably thinking the same thing in the story. However, she doesn't get the ribbon yet, so I will have to come back later. Amusingly, the game mentioned she's hungry. Maybe she forgot to eat when she headed out of the café has to go back?

Anyway, after continue going up the rest of the route, I rapidly reach the next city in the storyline, but for now, I'm simply passing through.

With my arrival in the city, I can finally enter the Hearthome route.

Heading out of the city puts me at Route 212. A rainy route, but nothing that will stop Gracie.

Well, unless there's a swamp.

Swamps are one of the most annoying overworld terrain in the Pokémon series. Unless I'd gone to an optional area in the city earlier, this is my first time encountering it. Swamp makes it so that anyone that moves over it has a chance of getting stuck. Once someone is stuck in the swamp, they must consistently turn around in place until they are free. The chance of getting stuck seems to be very high, as I've had it happen every few steps in some cases. It's so annoying that there is a person that explains what to do in it almost as soon as a player steps in it. Knowing Gracie, she could just float over it, but she probably would want to help out anyone that got stuck. At least the areas that it is are optional, unlike the other annoying terrain in the game…

It's also worth noting that this area has what I believe are the first of narrow bike paths. The player can bike over these paths to reach places that have hidden items and battles. Of course, I won't hesitate to go there, but I'm not sure how Gracie would actually bike over them. Perhaps it would be another thing she floats over…

Also, there's a lot of fishermen and parasol Trainers. Maybe one of them would offer to fish with Gracie, or she would receive shelter from an umbrella. There's also a concerned cop here, who challenges me because I'm playing at night. Said cop has every right to be concerned, as I realize this is around the time I'm running out of Power Points. It's a good time to go heal, or risk resorting to the weak Struggle when I still have plenty of battles left…

After another day comes and I sleep in a bit, I do just that.

Eventually, the rain stops, and I enter a new area.

Sinnoh's Pokémon Mansion.

Even though it has the same ominous name of Kanto's Mansion, it couldn't be further from that. The Pokémon Mansion is a place where rich Trainers often come hang out. They have a lot of money and can be rematched, which is helpful if the player is encountering their own money problems. Inside, there are several noteworthy areas. A minor one is a book lying in the middle of one of the rooms. This book allows the player to add Manaphy to their Pokédex entries. This is useful for picking up the National Pokédex after the game is cleared, since that Pokémon is only available from real life events otherwise.

The second is something called the Maid Challenge. The player is required to beat four maids in a row under a set limit of turns. All of these maids have Clefairy. If the player succeeds, they can battle another Trainer. This Trainer will have a Blissey holding the item Rare Candy. If the player can steal the item before Blissey uses the move Fling, they can obtain it for themselves. This can be done as much as the player wants, but only once a day. Gracie doesn't get much use out of it (especially since I can't steal), but I decide to do the challenge anyway for the experience. Unfortunately, I end up not meeting the turn count and missing the final Trainer. Considering I can't make full use out of it anyway, it's not that much of a loss. I'm not sure what Gracie would think of the maids, but the challenge will probably still be active.

The last area that is noticeable is the Trophy Garden. Other than having the Pikachu line, the garden really isn't anything special at first. However, after the main game is cleared, the owner of the garden will start bragging about rare Pokémon in it. These Pokémon come from a set list, with a different species being there once a day. Since most of these species are only seen in the National Dex, the player also needs to get that first. Once the player has done all this, the butler will insist that the Pokémon does not exist in the garden. However, the owner of the mansion will say that it does, and that the player can go find it. After that, the player is free to search the garden and try to find the Pokémon that was spoken about. These Pokémon work like regular encounters, other than being rare. The list of Pokémon will also continue even if it gets to the end, so the player doesn't have to worry about missing a specific Pokémon permanently. In the games, it's revealed the butler has been placing the Pokémon in the garden to cover up for the owner's lies. In Traveler, the Pokémon probably really will be in the garden, but nothing else is known.

Anyway, I skip it this time, and now I'm back in Hearthome. I decide to have Gracie head back to the café in order to fight some of the Trainers, since a new day has come in real life. They are as easy as ever, and the final partner, Bidoof, evolves. With this, everyone has evolved once, save for Gracie, who is already at final form. Two of the partners, Starly and Abra, can evolve again. However, Starly takes a while to reach its final form, and I'm not even sure if Abra can reach its final form in this run. For Abra to reach its final form, it must be traded to another player. Non-native systems typically don't allow trading, so this evolution is usually impossible. However, using certain settings in a randomizer, one can make it so trade evolutions can be done. Unfortunately, it's a setting that's easily missed, and I don't remember if I enabled it because Gracie doesn't really need that. Additionally, I have no means of going back and checking, because the only way to check is to let the game give you a log of any changes as soon as it's first randomized. It's not like that's all relevant anyway, so I just continue.

A simple flight back, and I'm in Pastoria.

Pastoria has two main attractions outside its Gym. One is that there is a house with a Move Relearner. The Move Relearner, like in most games that have one, allows a Pokémon to learn any move in its natural moveset that it has forgotten or skipped over while leveling up. Move Relearners charge a fee of one Heart Scale per move, although in some other games, they will accept other currencies. Since this game has a renewable and infinite source of Heart Scales, the Move Relearner is very important for most of my runs. However, since this run can't collect many Heart Scales and most of Gracie's moves are not by level up, he's not very important now. Additionally, Move Relearners in later games gained the ability to help a Pokémon remember moves from _anywhere_ in its move set _and_ moves that may have been given through breeding. Those services still aren't that useful to Gracie either way, though.

The second area of note is the Great Marsh.

And it's probably one of the most hated places in the fandom. Unfortunately, I have to say I'm one of the haters.

The Great Marsh, in addition to having the restrictions of most Safari Zones, generally was not designed well. It has horrible terrain in the form of many swamps, and are swamps were often required to be traversed to reach specific Pokémon and items. Additionally, all the areas look similar, so it's difficult to know where one is while they are traversing the place. Even though there is a train system and players can select which area they want to go to, it is still very easy to get lost. The worst part is that this area was actually _required_ to clear in Diamond and Pearl. This is because the move Defog was originally here, and not getting it made some areas much more difficult to traverse. Luckily, this was changed in Platinum, so maybe the developers realized how annoying that all was…

Regardless, Gracie and I are only here for the Gym.

Well, after a rival battle.

It still isn't much of one, with all of his Pokémon being gone in one hit. Grace is level 47 at this point, which is around the level the player's expected to be the _end_ of the game. So, it's a foregone conclusion.

With that, it's time to step into Wake's Gym.

Wake's Gym is nowhere near as bad as the last one, thankfully. The puzzle here is to hit switches in order to raise and lower water levels, eventually making one's way to the Gym Leader. There are Trainers guarding or near the switches, but since they all have Water Pokémon and Gracie carries moves that exploit Water Types' weaknesses, the Trainers are easy pickings. The same goes for the Leader, Wake. He sends out Floatzel, Gyarados, and Quagsire, but they're all defeated by moves that can exploit their Type weaknesses.

Wake, also known as Crasher Wake, is one of the oddest characters in the series. He travels around singing his own theme song, and is often seen away from his Gym. His own theme song is very strange, praising him, coming out of nowhere, and generally not making much sense. He's also the only character that breaks into song when he's spoken to (not counting some of the background songs that have vocals in later games). Wake's personality is seen as bombastic, and overly energetic and cheerful. He encourages everyone to have fun in Pokémon battles, without taking them too seriously. Wake is also a champion wrestler, and the player can watch him winning matches if they choose to tune into TVs at certain times. However, as of this writing, Wake cannot be battled as a wrestler. However, he does state he would be happy to teach the player and their rival wrestling if they asked. Unfortunately, Wake is less enthusiastic about taking Barry as an apprentice in battling, even though the latter already considers himself that. Wake states that he knows Palmer, Barry's father, but is not known what the extent of the relationship is.

As for my own opinion on Crasher Wake, I don't really like him that much. I find his random singing to be bizarre, especially since no one else does it. That, and his name being Crasher Wake also seems rather strange. The fact that he's known as Wake in his Gym battles makes it seem like Crasher Wake is just his name for wrestling, but he also uses it outside of it. So it's not really known. Additionally, while the personality being bombastic, energetic, and wanting everyone to relax with Pokémon battles makes sense, it's presented so flamboyantly that it comes off as more eccentric than anything. The protagonist of Usurping might find him annoying, and Crasher Wake would probably just leave her alone.

As for Gracie, she might be a little put off, but since she may not know about Wake's reputation, she decides to approach him with an open mind. Traveler will probably would have more emphasis on his mentor capacities and that part of his personality. In this, he probably would talk to Gracie about his desire to try teach the younger generations about enjoying themselves regardless of what happens in Pokémon battling, as he feels they have lost that by being consumed by their own selfish desires. Additionally, he wants to guide them down the path of honesty, and away from lives of crime and harming others. So many have embraced that life, he wonders if it will consume all Trainers. Gracie realizes he has hidden depths and really wants the best for everyone that is caught up in the story's conflict, and wonders if being overly happy is just a front. He could offer to teach her wrestling, but she's not a physical attacking Pokémon, she will decline. Gracie might be interested in watching the matches, though.

Regardless, I can't waste my time watching matches now, as Team Galactic has set off an explosion in the Great Marsh. As Barry and Wake rush to protect the town, it falls to me to choose down the perpetrator.

So chase him I do.

Oddly, this is another mission that supposed to have a sense of urgency, yet the player can do anything they want or need to do in the middle of it. Like finally getting the Footprint Ribbon, just because I can. It's still really odd that I'm stopping to get it somewhat needless ribbon while I'm chasing criminals… I have a feeling this is going to be rewritten a bit in the story itself…

What's even odder than stopping for things by myself is doing so when _the game decides to stop me._

Right after I've beaten up this criminal's Pokémon (who is double weak to Psychic, by the way), Cynthia walks in from the other direction. She doesn't even comment on the criminal chase, instead just handing me an item to help with some sick Pokémon blocking the road to the next route, and mentioning how she was going to investigate the lake, but currently can't. It's so bizarre. She's the Champion, so wouldn't she notice where the criminal was going, pursue him herself, or at least realize what was happening? Even after Barry runs up and talks about the criminal, there's only a funny exchange where he mistakes Cynthia for the player's sister and she comments on his impatience… It's even funnier considering Cynthia actually _is_ an older sister to someone else, but that's beside the point. Everything still seems out of place…

I love this game, but sometimes things just don't make sense…

Be that as it may, I have to keep going. After all, there is still a long road ahead…


	37. Adaptations for All

**Welcome to the chapter of 2020, and the next one in Gracie's story! This story to a bit of a break due to Christmas events, but is now back for the New Year! Anyone interested in checking out what I did for Christmas can look at my original fiction before a new story and my Deviantart account for several logs of Pokémon runs. This includes a log of the most recent games at the time of this writing, Sword and Shield, which have now been completed entirely. However, beware of spoilers for those games upon reading that log.**

 **Other than that, I'm glad to be doing this story again, and enjoy!**

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 **Day 36 (September 30, 2019): Sinnoh**

On to another time with Gracie!

A quick stop at the café, and then to continue the journey. Gracie seems to be becoming a regular there… Perhaps she will be, with people being friendly to her and giving her discounts. It would certainly be interesting, seeing as nothing like that can actually happen in the games…

But nevertheless, it's off to do take care of some sick Pokémon with the new item. These Pokémon are acting as a roadblock, and its Gracie's job to clear them out. Interestingly, I'm not entirely sure how to write this scene, since in Traveler, no such roadblock exists. There could be something with Gracie being sick and needing the potion, but that's already been done with Jasmine, and Gracie is not considered weak enough to warrant getting sick again.

A more likely explanation is that she still pursuing the criminal from the city before, but ends up running right into a massive amount of them. It would make sense, considering the criminal is headed towards the lake, and later on, it shown that there's an entire gang of Team Galactic Grunts at the lake. Most of these grunts are ready to battle, or have battled before. So it makes sense that Gracie would get dogpiled by whatever criminals there were, and quickly be overwhelmed. Cynthia would then have to rescue her, and then have to treat her for her injuries. Cynthia is shown to have a lot of medical knowledge canonically, to the point where she serves as a replacement for a Pokémon Center for Pokémon that can't get to one at certain points in the anime. So her being able to treat Gracie's injuries is consistent with what is known about her character.

After being defeated by the grunts and falling unconscious, Gracie wakes up sometime later, feeling groggy and a little discombobulated. A voice states. "Thank goodness! You're awake!" Gracie's eyes go wide and fear is in her voice as she tries to register her surroundings. "I… I am… Where…" The other person hushes her stating. "You'll be all right now. You are back in the hotel near Pastoria. It was the closest place I could bring you, and I didn't want to risk taking you all the way to the Pokémon Center in the shape you were in. So I brought you here and treated you myself. I might not be a Pokémon Center nurse, but I've got enough medical knowledge to act as one if need be." Gracie's eyes continue to go wide and carefully lets the person come into focus in front of her. However, she can't quite remember the name despite the familiarity. So she slowly states. "You… You're…" The person responds matter-of-factly. "Cynthia, Sinnoh's Champion." Gracie lets out a gasp. "Sinnoh's Champion took the time to help me?" She cannot keep surprise and embarrassment from flooding her voice. However, before she can speak again, Cynthia motions for silence.

The Champion warmly responds. "Just because I'm the Champion doesn't mean I have to stay locked up in the League all the time. It is the duty of the Champion to protect the region, no matter where that might lead, so I help others away from my position quite often. Think nothing of it." Gracie starts protesting. "But, wouldn't that make things difficult for your duties?" Cynthia shakes her head. "No. Those affiliated with the League can do something call a field challenge. If a Trainer or a League official cannot challenge someone where they normally would be, they can choose to challenge them wherever they are, or designate a different area for challenges. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to hold down a job or have a life outside the Championship, Trainers who cannot get the League challenges for reasons beyond their control would be at a disadvantage, and there would be no way to battle for practice or even fun. This rule also allows those in the League to challenge Trainers anywhere, and if they have fulfilled the necessary requirement to advance in that part of the League, then the Trainers can be awarded properly on the spot. Trainers are still expected to be at the designated area, if possible, though. But it means things like me healing you and staying at the hotel for a while aren't issues." Gracie is still a bit confused, and Cynthia smiles warmly and continues to explain.

What she explains will probably involve part of my explanation here.

The idea of the field challenges and being used as a substitute for battling at a Gym is actually a reference to Cynthia's first appearance in the anime, with the concept is first being used much earlier. In Cynthia's first appearance, Paul requests a battle while Cynthia is away from League investigating ruins. She accepts, despite Paul not having the requirements to challenge the Champion officially nor Cynthia being at the League. She then states it's been a while that since she's taken a field challenge, implying that she's done something like this before. In Pokémon Special, she's also seen doing something similar, as she helps train several members of the main cast.

Note that this is different than someone giving a Badge for reasons other than winning a match, since the official match usually takes place in the Gym anyway (if there even is a match). With this scenario, the first case of this ever happening is with Brock and Ash. The former is moved by the latter's compassion and honesty, with Ash first refusing to accept the Badge because he won via a sprinkler accident that made Brock's Pokémon weak to attacks they normally should not have been. However, Brock tells him to accept the Badge anyway, seeing him worthy for the above traits regardless of what happened. It's not known how often in cases like this will occur in Traveler, if it all. However, it's possible these cases may be called alternative victories.

While Cynthia is the first person to give the field challenge a name and explanation, she's not the first person to have one. The first person to ever use a field challenge for an official League battle in the anime is actually Koga. He and Ash are in the middle of a traditional match in the Gym when Team Rocket interrupts the battle and destroys parts of the Gym. After chasing off Team Rocket, Koga chooses to finish off the match on the lawn in front of the Gym. The battle goes as normal, and Ash earns his Badge. Things like this have been seen in the anime several times since, usually with similar situations. While field challenges have also been used in other media, they have yet to appear in the games themselves. Fan creations have used them, however, and the reasons vary widely.

Field challenges are a staple in Traveler, being something that a challenger can request if they wish. However, if the field challenge is to take the place of an official League battle, the challenger must have proof that they cannot do the official battle in the proper place at the time the field challenge is requested. Since Traveler does not require Trainers to do the Badge battles in any specific order, Trainers who cannot do the battle due to time are usually asked to come back later. A Gym Leader must also have proof that a field challenge is acceptable and necessary, or that they otherwise feel the Trainer is worth challenging outside of the Gym. While the proof is usually conducted by the League official themselves, there are other times when someone gives that proof to the official League records.

The entire process is not only for convenience, but also in the case that it is dangerous or impractical for someone to challenge the Gym traditionally. For example, challenging Erika's Gym could be deadly, even fatal, for someone that has allergies or asthma. This is due to all the spores and plants in her gym, and a common allergy being those things. Someone in any of the Flying Type Gyms might become uncomfortable at best and crippled at worse if they have a fear of heights. And anyone with a physical disability might find Kalos Gym Leader Grant's Gym almost impossible, since it requires rock climbing. However, field challenges are often looked down upon, as people are seen as being too weak to take on a Gym properly. This has led many Trainers to endanger themselves needlessly, believing they're not worthy if they don't do a traditional Gym match. The League has tried to change this, but to no avail.

Cynthia would probably explain how the field challenge is used in Traveler, although she may make references to canon usage as examples that have happened in the past. Gracie thinks that it's stupid that people would look down on field challenges if someone really needs it, and Gym Leaders are still trying to treat everyone equally as best as possible. She then wonders if anyone has used that in recent memory, because this is the first time she's heard of one. Cynthia replies that the trainer known as the Mold Breaker Kristine did one, although it was not by her request. Additionally, she was also given the chance to do several more, but turned it down whenever she could, or otherwise requested to go to the Gym later. Gracie responds, eyes wide. "The Mold Breaker did that? Why?"

Cynthia then goes into detail about the instance. "The Mold Breaker sees visions, particularly if those visions involve someone's possible death. That day, Clair of Blackthorn was around, and Zinnia of the Draconids tried to force Clair into a vicious battle the latter didn't want. The Mold Breaker's visions also told her that Zinnia had plans to attack Clair herself, leaving the Gym Leader injured or dead. Being a kind soul and driven by the visions, the Mold Breaker chose to go investigate. She was able to stop Zinnia from doing anything to Clair, and when Zinnia tried to attack her instead, the Mold Breaker took down all of Zinnia's Pokémon using her ability to fuse with other ones.

Once Clair learned of the Mold Breaker's abilities and motives, she became intrigued. Additionally, Clair it thought noble that the Mold Breaker would save an almost complete stranger, associate since she risked losing the support of the few companions she had at the time. Clair also learned that the Mold Breaker had no Badges, and no previous record of going on any journey, despite being significantly stronger and older than a typical Trainer would be. As a result, Clair decided a field challenge would be a proper reward, and the rest of the League agreed. The Mold Breaker, however, wasn't so sure. She had specifically trained herself so that she was able to adapt to almost every puzzle a Trainer may find, so that her disability wouldn't get in her way and she wouldn't be subject to stigma. Accepting a field challenge felt like downplaying that accomplishment, and made her feel as though she wouldn't earn the Badge.

Clair convinced her that a Gym Leader has the right to challenge and give Badges to anyone they deem worthy. Considering what the Mold Breaker had done, Clair felt she was worthy. However, the two decided that when the Mold Breaker came to Blackthorn, Clair would give express permission for her to challenge the Gym normally despite already having the Badge, and the two would have a rematch. The Mold Breaker accepted the terms, earned the Badge in the following battle, and eventually did return to conquer the Gym in a more traditional fashion. Hardly anyone knows about the field challenge though, and the Mold Breaker doesn't speak about it freely. Even though was for a very good reason, there's still stigma surrounding it." Gracie thinks of the League really is a benevolent organization, trying to provide for all Trainers as best they can, and that so many are wrong to rail against it. There may also be additional explanation in this area, with the parts Gracie doesn't know, such as the relationship between the Mold Breaker and Zinnia.

However, she is interrupted from those thoughts by Cynthia speaking again. "Enough about me, can you remember what happened?" At this point, the previous events slowly come back to Gracie. "I was chasing a criminal… It looked like I had almost caught him… But then a whole gang of them appeared… They were allies of the one I was chasing, and I couldn't fight them all…" Gracie shudders as she comes to a bleak realization. "If you hadn't found me, I'd be dead… I'm sorry, I should've realized an attack would've happened…" Gracie cringes, but Cynthia shakes her head reassuringly. "Don't worry, you couldn't have seen that attack coming. Even if you used the psychic power to see it, it's likely your opponents would have noticed and would have attacked you first. Luckily, the medicine I gave you was able to help you recover faster."

At this point, Cynthia mentions the medicine's name, and Gracie realizes that this is the same medicine that tried to cure Meredith and failed. She shudders again and says Meredith's name, prompting Cynthia to ask what's wrong. After Gracie explains, Cynthia comforts her. She explains Gracie didn't have an illness like Meredith's, and that she was found time. Gracie slowly repeats "in time…" Cynthia suddenly cringes, seems to be deep in thought, and says the name Dawn. Gracie is confused, wondering what Cynthia is talking about.

Cynthia responds that Dawn is a young Trainer, like an apprentice and daughter to her. However, when she started becoming more powerful, Dawn thought she could do everything by herself. Of course, Dawn was just a child, and she got into trouble because of her way of thinking. Cindy often had to rescue her. Cynthia ends the conversation by saying, "If it wasn't for all of that, she would not have done what she did…" Gracie is still confused, but doesn't press the subject further. Cynthia then elaborates, saying that she has another apprentice now. That apprentice is strong enough to be mostly independent, so the help Cynthia gives is usually indirect. But she still worries regardless. Gracie wonders if this has any connection to the Mold Breaker, but doesn't say anything.

It's worth noting that this point, Gracie doesn't know Cynthia's true identity or any connection she has to Kristine. For this story, the lore currently acts like she doesn't, at least until the very end. There are also plans to Cynthia be a former mentor to some of the older Trainers in the story. Possible candidates include Johanna and Reggie, but not much is confirmed. Regardless, Cynthia takes Gracie to the route to the next town. She states that there is someone that will help her, and the route ahead provides good training. Cynthia also tells Gracie to take the Old Charm, as the people in the town will recognize it and now that she has sent her. Gracie nods, and accepts, and the two go their separate ways.

And so begins the gameplay.

After curing the sick Pokémon with the Secret Potion, Cynthia shows up and gives me an Old Charm. She says to take it to her grandmother, but never says why or what it's for. The item never shows up again in the story either. Another thing that doesn't really make sense… Not to mention there's no reason why Cynthia can't heal the Pokémon herself, but maybe she needs something to motivate the player…

Regardless, with the route clear, I press forward.

The next place is a foggy route that's very long. Additionally, there are many powerful Trainers and no places to heal. Even though I have a way to remove the fog, I will still have to be careful when traversing the place.

All my attacking moves other than Magical Leaf run out of Power Points, but other than that, I don't have any issues.

Before long, I'm at the next town.

A place called Celestic.

It's a tiny rustic town, filled with ruins, wise elders, and ancient myths. Cynthia's grandmother and family live here, although Cynthia's hometown is unknown. The town is so old that they don't even have a Pokémon Mart like those seen in other towns. Instead, one can head into a house to buy items, some of which cannot be found anywhere else.

I'm not here for any of that, though.

Instead, I'm here for something else.

And that's something is a battle.

At first, there is a warm-up against a Galactic Grunt, who is immediately taken out by Shock Wave.

The next battle is the real one, as I enter a cave with a painting and go up against Team Galactic's leader, Cyrus.

And boy, have I been waiting to talk about him.

He influences a few others as well, and I've also been waiting to elaborate more on them.

But first, the fight.

Cyrus is considered one of the most difficult fights in the game, perhaps even the series. With Gracie being weak to most of his Pokémon, I'm also expecting a challenge here.

Thankfully, that does not appear to be the case.

Cyrus sends out Sneasel, Mukrow, and Golbat. Only Sneasel manages to do damage, though, striking back with Ice Punch before going down to two Shock Waves. The others are weak to the attack, so they go down without even being able to fight back.

At last, I am finally able to elaborate on Cyrus.

But not before talking about those he affects.

Such is the original character mentioned in the Lost Tower should Zinnia be the one Gracie sees in her vision there.

Gracie walks into the cave to see the aforementioned original character talking with a man there. However, she seems flustered, saying, "You must know what happened back in the Lost Tower, Cyrus! Zinnia was seen as a ghost there, despite being alive and well! The Trio of Sinnoh's Lakes must have noticed what was going on. And you are currently in a place where those that are worthy of the power can communicate with them! Surely you must know something!"

At this, the man shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Kalmia. The Lake Trio have not told me anything about the visions in Lost Tower. Since dealing with ghosts and the afterlife isn't their domain, I doubt they _could_ tell me anything, assuming they even know what happened." The one now named Kalmia throws up her hands and her voice becomes more desperate. "Then Giratina must be aware…" The man's sharp gaze locks eyes with Kalmia, and she flinches away from what Gracie can only detect as the man's tranquil fury. "You know I am not privy to information from the god of death." Kalmia's voice only rises to his shout as she shrieks. "Then what about the Mold Breaker, Kristine?" Cyrus's voice stays calm, but Gracie thinks she can still detect fury. "Just because Kristine is considered worthy of many gods doesn't mean they will automatically give her information about everything. Furthermore, Kristine cannot control the information she does receive, and it's so garbled sometimes that she misinterprets it. Besides, you of all people should know how much Kristine guards her secrets."

Kalmia's hand tightens into a fist, but Cyrus stops her again before she can say anything. "Knowing what's happened during the past, Kristine probably wouldn't tell normal people anything until she was absolutely sure she properly understood what she saw. And even then, she would know seeing something like that would break your heart. Not to mention it might get you worked up over something that would be in the far future and might be completely unpreventable. That would give Kristine several reasons to think it would be better _not_ to tell you."

Kalmia stutters. "But…" Cyrus cuts her off again. "I understand your concern for Zinnia and those affected by the Lost Tower vision. And I'd say your concern for the latter is valid. But in terms of Zinnia… Considering what she's done, her history with you, what she has the potential to do, and what she is suspected to have done, it may be better just to forget about her. Or at least, abandon the thought of saving her somehow. Even if you do manage to make sure she survives all this intact, she won't be the same person you knew as a child, and her reputation won't be the same, either. She'll probably spend her life locked up, if she's even deemed worthy of surviving. And if she somehow does escape punishment and try to reform, she will spend the rest of her life repenting. And that would only bring sorrow to both of you." At this point, Kalmia's voice has risen to a screech. "No! I can't abandon Zinnia! I just can't! She was my best friend when we were younger! She'll come back! She has to!" Cyrus retains his calmness as he speaks. "Just think things over, Kalmia." At that, the female leaves, and Gracie instinctively gets out of her way. After that, she heads up to speak with the man.

But before that, a bit more explanation.

So, Kalmia is an original character, or OC. However, she's based off of a concept with a canon character.

As stated much earlier on, Zinnia is meant to be a heroic character in the games, but is portrayed more like a villain. As a result, a lot of fan works and even some official interpretations _do_ make her a villain. As mentioned before, Traveler follows suit.

But it wasn't always that way.

In very early drafts of Traveler, Zinnia _was_ intended to be heroic. This was both to flesh out the character and to see what would happen if she was genuinely kind as she believed herself to be, and as the narrative of the original games tried to portray her. In these very early drafts, Zinnia and Kristine were close friends, sharing the same goals and dreams. Zinnia also remained by the protagonist's side no matter what, helping her even when several characters didn't, and becoming one her most stalwart allies. The two's similar ages and initial backgrounds caused them to have a lot of things in common, and as such, Zinnia's more positive traits are highlighted as she and the protagonist help each other through their issues.

But this friendship was not to be.

Upon looking at and studying Zinnia's traits in more detail, I realized it was impossible to make her a positive character without changing many aspects of her personality and background. So much of the canon character would be rewritten that Zinnia would be changed to a completely different person. In the end, the Zinnia shown in Traveler would share only her name, her appearance, her position, and some of her Pokémon with her canon counterpart. Furthermore, as the protagonist of Traveler was also being developed, I realized that if most aspects of Zinnia's canon character was kept, she and the protagonist would clash constantly. At that point, I realized having her as a completely heroic character wouldn't work, and it would make more sense to have her be villainous. Thus, this led to the final version of her character in Traveler. In there, she is not only villainous, but genuinely believes what she's doing is right, regardless of the methods used to get there. It's a much more accurate portrayal of Zinnia's character, while getting rid of some of the issues the canon portrayal had.

But then I realized that I had some wasted potential.

I still wondered what would happen if Zinnia was heroic, and sometimes regretted turning her into a villain, because I thought that idea was completely useless. However, due to Traveler's setting and Zinnia herself, I realize I couldn't use Zinnia for the idea.

But I _could_ create another character.

So that's exactly what I did.

Kalmia was then created to serve the role of Zinnia was intended to have in Traveler's early drafts. She is meant to be a heroic character from similar circumstances to Zinna's, while not destroying the canon character's personality and having some more freedom with her own. She is much less aggressive and trigger-happy than Zinnia, but she's also less powerful, and is seen as weak by some. Additionally, Kalmia is less popular than Zinnia, despite being friendlier, more compassionate, and much more stable. This becomes an issue in her backstory. Regardless, she lacks any of the issues that Zinnia has in terms of either physical or psychological disability, but still goes through a lot nevertheless. Originally, Kalmia was intended to be Zinnia's sister, but I soon realized there would be a chance Kalmia could inherit some of the issues Zinnia had, in addition to the whole thing bringing up a lot of sibling clichés. Thus, she just has the relationship with Zinnia that she has in the final version. Originally, Kalmia's name was Orchid, in keeping with the flower motif of Zinnia and Aster. However, after researching the symbolism of the orchid, I realized it didn't fit what I wanted for Kalmia's character very well. There was also another character canonically based off of an orchid (Caitlin, someone I will get to much later), and that character fit the symbolism much better. So a different name was chosen.

As for Kalmia's backstory, she starts off as the childhood friend of Zinnia. They are both candidates for the coveted title of Lorekeeper. However, Zinnia quickly becomes more powerful, helped by being more aggressive and getting into frequent battles. Furthermore, she knows how to put on a charming act despite having some ability to manipulate, and also shows extensive knowledge of what is required for the Lorekeeper. With all of this, Zinnia becomes immensely popular with the Draconids and quite a few others. Zinnia's aggressiveness also leads to her being reckless and downright rude in many cases, such as the way she acts with the protagonist of Traveler in her current incarnation and having Aster out of wedlock without really being careful or understanding what that meant.

With all of this, Zinnia starts distancing herself from Kalmia and others that first supported her for who she originally was. Kalmia, on the other hand, is horrified by what is happening, and tries to tell her friend she is going down the wrong path, in addition to trying to help Zinnia get back to who she knew her to be. However, Zinnia doesn't listen, and with the former having so many supporters, Kalmia cannot find allies. Zinnia supporters are willing to ignore her flaws or overlook some of her more reckless actions, because of the power and popularity she displays. Kalmia, on the other hand, is no longer worthy of the Lorekeeper position, being seen as weak and cowardly. As a result, she is dropped out of the position, unable to get it no matter what. The worst of this is that Zinnia's personality comes partially from untreated behavioral issues rather than how she really thinks, leading to mental instability. Zinnia's mother, Coriander, tries to bring this up, and supports Kalmia. But she goes unheard, as the people only care about Zinnia's power and nothing more. Kalmia just removes herself from the conflict, seeing it as something not worth getting herself involved in.

Kalmia then leaves start her own journey, but faces issues due to being older (although she's not as old as the protagonist of Traveler) and her past. Eventually, she meets Traveler's protagonist and the two become friends as they journey around. Like Zinnia in her original role, the two have much in common. Additionally, the protagonist of Traveler finds herself sympathetic to Kalmia's plight. The protagonist believes that the Draconids and others who supported Zinnia were wrong for letting Zinnia get away with her behavior and seeing Kalmia's kindness as a weakness, even if the latter may be not as strong in battle.

Later on, when people who know Kalmia's history start mistreating her, the protagonist of Traveler uses her own powers to stop the mistreatment. Additionally, she scolds the others about judging someone by how powerful they are in battle, or otherwise only looking at their abilities rather than who they are as people and whether are not they are suited for their powers. This inspires Kalmia to support the protagonist when the latter requests to learn the responsibilities of and take on the role of Lorekeeper out of guilt for what happened to Zinnia. Even though Kalmia still isn't considered strong enough to become the Lorekeeper, she guides the protagonist through the training, and is happy that someone responsible can take up the position. Afterward, Kalmia finds the courage to start to try and pursue a new life away from her past. Not much is known about Kalmia otherwise at the present. However, she may wear blue or even purple to contrast with Zinnia's red. In addition, her main Pokémon may be Mega Altaria, to contrast with Zinnia's Mega Salamance.

Her name, like Zinnia and Aster's, comes from a flower. Kalmia is a flower symbolizing perseverance. It's something that fits the character's nature to keep going after what happened with her and Zinnia. It can also be given to someone as a sign of treachery. While Kalmia herself is not treacherous, it doesn't stop opponents from _thinking_ she is. Additionally, a big part of her story is having to deal with the treachery Zinnia and others who support her leave in their wake. Depending on how one looks of that, by joining against her, she may bring treachery onto Zinnia or those that support crime. It's also worth noting that Coriander, the name of Zinnia's mother (who is never shown in the games, but Zinnia does have a grandmother) means in terms of plant symbolism, hidden worth. This is meant to symbolize how she sees the hidden worth in Kalmia and the hidden lack of worth in Zinnia. Speaking of Kalmia, it's not known what exactly happens to Kalmia in Holly Rising's timeline, since she was added late. Not to mention the protagonists there are much more ruthless and villainous than the one of Traveler overall. However, considering Kalmia no longer has the protagonist to back her up and still has many of her weaknesses without any way to work through them, it's likely she'll end up dead.

But that's enough about original characters.

Now it's time to talk about someone who's canonical.

And that someone is Cyrus.

Optional backstory reveals that Cyrus was born in the city of Sunnyshore. By speaking to his grandfather, it is also revealed that Cyrus was very good academics. However, he lacked social abilities, and preferred machines over associating with people and Pokémon. Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough for his parents, and they rejected him. Faced with his own bitter emotions and the disappointment of his parents, Cyrus believe that emotions were the source of all the ills in the world. He believed that eliminating them along with the human spirit would create a peaceful new world. Cyrus would then rule over and protect the new world as its god, ensuring that strife that like what happened to him would never occur again. His grandfather laments all this, thinking that if he had intervened, Cyrus would not have gone down the path he did.

By the time the player meets him, Cyrus has become a nihilist, not showing much emotion and otherwise being rather bitter. He is researching legendary Pokémon in various places. However, when he is doing this, he runs Team Galactic in secret and puts on a front that they are searching for alternative energy resources. However, the methods Team Galactic use to do this are questionable, putting many people in conflict with them. Meanwhile, Cyrus continues his plan to find the legendary Pokémon and their power. What he does depends on the game.

In all of the Sinnoh games, he uses the Pokémon known as the Lake Trio to create an item called the Red Chain. In Diamond, he summons a Pokémon called Dialga. In Pearl, the Pokémon is called Palkia. In Platinum, Cyrus summons both of them at the same time, but the Lake Trio appear to try and thwart him. They fail, but suddenly the Pokémon Giratina appears. Giratina takes Cyrus to a new area called the Distortion World. The Lake Trio, Cynthia, and the player soon follow. After being eventually found and being defeated in a battle, Cyrus elects to stay in the Distortion World, vowing that his plans will one day be fulfilled. Oddly enough, he cannot be found again after this, even the player enters the Distortion World a second time.

Cyrus is one of, if not my favorite, of the evil team leaders. Not only is he the first to have a complete backstory, but it also believable and can be related to. Cyrus being extremely intelligent academically but also lacking social skills is something that could happen to real life people. And just like that Cyrus, there can be consequences with family not knowing what to do. Also, just like Cyrus, there can be members of one's family who believe that even being intelligent is not enough. The resulting drive to pursue perfection can cause someone to snap, just like what happened to Cyrus. And if someone as intelligent as Cyrus is snaps, the results can be deadly. Considering Cyrus was surrounded by negative emotions or otherwise lacked understanding of them, it's no wonder that he would think they were the source of all the world's problems. And even though his methods of wanting to prevent what he had gone through hurt many people, the goal itself was not malevolent. In addition, the career of operating a business to find alternative methods of energy can easily be an honest one. All this makes Cyrus closer to a real person with visible goals than arguably any other Pokémon villain before him.

With all this, it's no wonder some fan interpretations (and even official ones) make it so that Cyrus is either redeemed or never evil. Some interpretations also pair him with Cynthia, due to their shared love of ruins, high intelligence, and power. There is also the fact that they are seen speaking together or otherwise following each other. In many interpretations, Cyrus additionally has some sort of condition that prevents him from understanding emotions fully, but whether or not that leads to his problems down the road depends. While I am not sure if Cyrus will have some sort of emotional issue, Traveler does follow suit on the other two interpretations.

Cyrus is married to Cynthia, and probably also has children. His business trying to discover alternative energy is a legitimate one, and he serves the League honorably. The issues with his family either never occurred, or got only to the point where he could work with them. It's likely the latter, due to his grandfather intervening. In very early drafts of Traveler, Cyrus was considered for the Elite Four and Champion positions, but was later replaced by someone else. It's not known if this will carry over into the final version of the story. What is known is that he met up with two other people called Malva and N. Together, the three of them became leaders of a resistance movement, a part of the League dedicated to helping wipe out criminals and keep order in the regions. Cyrus is also someone called a Vessel. A Vessel is someone that can use a legendary Pokémon's power themselves, but are also required to perform that legendary Pokémon's duties and be their eyes in the mortal world. Cyrus is the Vessel for the Lake Trio, but he has trouble controlling Mespirit, the being of emotion.

So, with Cyrus no longer the leader of Team Galactic, do they still exist?

The answer is yes, and they are led by a man named Charon.

I've talked about Charon earlier in this arc, but for the purposes of what he was going to do in Traveler, I wanted to wait until clearing up what Cyrus's role before giving more info.

Because while Cyrus is the better _character,_ Charon is the better _villain._ By that, I mean it's clear what his allegiances are. While he has Cyrus's intelligence, he lacks the humanity the former has. That makes him someone the player wants to take down, as opposed to someone who's just fighting on the wrong side and that the player can never seem to reason with. All of this also makes him more suited for villainous position, and thus that's exactly what he is. In the games, he wastes no time reassembling Team Galactic after Cyrus leaves, but is stopped by Looker and the player. In addition, his plans don't really work because the remaining members of the team are still loyal to Cyrus. He also doesn't appear to have any means of battling, as Looker arrests him easily.

But what if Charon _could_ battle, having a clear advantage over Looker? What if some of the Galactic Grunts _were_ loyal to him, especially since Cyrus never founded the team? What if the plans _did_ work, because Charon had intelligence and power in addition to support? What if there was the possibility that Cyrus and Charon had worked together in the past, only with Cyrus choosing to pursue honest work, and Cyrus wanting more ruthless methods? The answer to this was Charon as the evil team leader and Charon's position in Traveler. It's not known who is going to be on what side as far as the commanders go, and there may be some sort of split. Regardless, Charon is will be presented as someone much deadlier than he is in his own game.

Cyrus's specific role in Traveler overall is not known at this point. In the original drafts of Usurping, the protagonist was a bit nervous around him because of her issues with her father and his similarities to him. Since she's closer to Cynthia in the later versions, this nervousness and might not persist. Cyrus may also help her find the Lake Trio earn their power, but this is unconfirmed. It is known Holly Rising's protagonist hates him either way, due to her allegiance as well as her family problems.

As for Gracie's story, she walks up and asks Cyrus who he is. Cyrus explains his history, and what he is doing there. When Gracie shows him the Old Charm, Cyrus knows that Cynthia sent her, and replies that she is his wife. Gracie is surprised, prompting Cyrus to explain the similarities the two of them have. He offers to give Gracie a test himself, after having her be tested by several of his facilities earlier on in the run. If she passes, she can ask for even more information, and he will glean what information he can from the powers of the Lake Trio. Gracie passes this test with a battle easily.

Afterwards, she asks him what he was talking about before. He elaborates on the history of Kalmia and what she is trying to do. When Gracie mentions Kristine and the visions, he asks her if she's ever heard of the prophet Cassandra. Gracie is confused, shaking her head no. Cyrus then goes on to explain that the prophet Cassandra was cursed by the gods in that she would always have accurate visions but no one would ever believe her. Cyrus then goes on to say Kristine is much the same way, and Gracie is confused as to how.

Cyrus continues, explaining that Kristine also receives visions and omens, but hardly anyone believes them. Gracie immediately wonders why, as psychics and other people that have visions are not that uncommon. Cyrus explains that Kristine has visions different from what a typical psychic or any other person with the power would have. Additionally, the means of her having visions and what she looks like when she's having one is unusual. Finally, Kristine exudes no magical power that can be used, at least, not to a normal person or anyone that doesn't know her more personally. So people thought she was faking the visions or otherwise crazy. Eventually, Kristine decided not to talk to anyone about her visions, aside from those that were closest to her, if even then. This is despite the fact that her visions have saved many lives, and have otherwise benefited many people. It may be also the reason why she refuses to go into supernatural power training, since doing so would mean having more visions, and everything that came with them. Gracie thinks that's horrible, but Cyrus shakes his head and says it doesn't end there.

Even before Kristine's visions were more well-known, people still thought she was crazy. Since people with Kristine's condition often have cognitive disadvantages, people believed she couldn't think for herself. People thought she was gullible and docile, when in reality, she is anything but. However, that belief still damaged her reputation, and continues to do so. That's because many people believe she was brainwashed or otherwise manipulated into supporting the League, and that she needs to be freed from her captors.

Gracie throws up her hands. She yells loudly, believing that's absurd and still asking why. Cyrus simply continues explaining. Kristine was trained by Blue, Giselle, and others that were high-ranking members of the League. So it's believed that one of them could've easily influenced her, since she was the age of a normal Trainer when starting with them. The League knew of Kristine's power early on, so some people tried to recruit her. There was the idea that Kristine was didn't know she was brainwashed and the League only wanted her for her power. What those people don't realize is that Kristine's first recorded encounter involving someone from the League's was actually against a particularly aggressive recruiter, and she chose Blue and Gisele as her mentors herself. Every other decision, she's had a direct hand in, and has made it clear that nothing is to be done without her consent, else she forces it undone. Gracie simply looks down, wondering what tale to believe.

Cyrus notices her expression, and says that she still wants her promised information. With that, he concentrates, and Gracie can feel intense psychic energy. Before Gracie can inquire about what's happening, Cyrus speaks in what appears to be a chorus of voices. Gracie shivers as Cyrus states, "The gods notice something is happening. What they are noticing is the one that pushes their powers to the absolute limit." Gracie shouts, "That could be anyone!" She gasps, wondering if she committed blasphemy by interrupting. All of a sudden, the energy fades and Cyrus returns to normal. When he speaks, his voice softens. "I know, and I'm sorry. But that is the only information the Lake Trio has chosen to share with me. I wish I could tell you more." Gracie nods, responding. "Don't worry. You've done more than enough." With that, the two say farewell, and Gracie leaves.

With that, this chapter comes to its conclusion! A very story focused update, and a longer one, but contains some of the biggest adaptations in the series. Next one probably won't have as much story or adaptations, as I approach the last quarter of the region…


End file.
